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Interview Professor: Alexander Hahn

Citizenship: German

Affiliation:

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany (Adjunct)

HYVE Innovation Community, Germany (Professional)

Module(s): Marketing of innovative products

Q1. What are your primary fields of interest/ research?

My primary field of interest is the intersection of innovation and marketing – both fields are driven by tremendously fruitful exchange, especially in recent years: Design-thinking, user-centric innovation, market-oriented management, digital marketing, corporate entrepreneurship, lean startup etc.

This has also been the field of my doctoral research: The impact of marketing of high-tech startups on investor perceptions. Based on this and ongoing research, I have published in this field on startup marketing and corporate innovation such as sales channel design alterations, multi-stage marketing, among others.

Q2. Where did you learn this incredible stuff you’re teaching?

Due to my dual background – being a consultant in a design and innovation firm and a MBA lecturer at business schools – I have the privilege to learn both in the field and in class rooms. Moreover, as anybody else, I am a daily of digital and physical products and services. Observing one’s own behavior and those of the people around you yields very interesting qualitative insights – especially when it comes to interacting with new technologies and products. Just imagine how you interacted with information from the internet 10 years ago

when there was only a Netscape Navigator on your desktop PC and no smartphones with touchpads and cheap data plans.

Q3. What do you enjoy most about working with our participants?

I really like the broad diversity of backgrounds and how this fosters the students’ experience of learning learn from each other. This is hard to compare. Thus, my role in the classroom is to facilitate the communication between the students and to engage their discussions.

Q4. As a professor what do you hope to transmit to your students?

I hope to transmit the right balance between practice-oriented case study learning and laying solid theoretical foundations. So that students can apply concepts and models to individual cases, but also get a solid understanding about possibilities and boundaries of transferring such concepts and models to other situations in their current and future daily business experience.

Q5. How does you course(s) help participants develop themselves personally & professionally?

The course Marketing of Innovative Products helps my student to gain a profound general understanding of marketing strategy, tactics and implementation in a digitalized world. Specifically, students will learn about the most important concepts for market-oriented management and apply them to a wide array of institutional contexts such as business-to-business marketing, business-to-consumer marketing, international marketing, service marketing, retail marketing, government marketing, tourism marketing, luxury marketing and technology marketing. Thus, they will be endowed with a sufficient and powerful set of marketing tools and concepts and understand their value and applicability in various fields.

Moreover, the course emphasizes the value of marketing for innovative products. Coming from this professional field, I strongly believe that the interface between marketing and innovation is one of the drivers of economic growth and business opportunities – the recognition of opportunities and the development and delivery of customer-value driven products and services to the market.

Personally, I hope that the students will understand the concept of market-oriented management as a customer- and competitor-oriented interfunctional management approach. Thus, they can immediately profit from the course.

Finally, as each student is a customer in various ways I hope that they understand their role and their response to various marketing tactics they perceive in their daily private life. This would result in a life-long curiosity and learning fostered by this course. Regarding the assignments I provide summative feedback on their performance in class and how they can improve.

Professor: Annette E. Craven, PhD, CPA

Citizenship: USA

Affiliation: University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX

Module(s): Qualitative Research Methods. This module introduces students to qualitative research methods. It introduces students to the requirement for the art of scholarly writing. Students will develop ideas for possible research topics, identify appropriate databases and journal for literature review and the critiquing of qualitative and quantitative research articles.

Q1. What are your primary fields of interest/ research? I am very interested in the quality of higher education, particularly at the graduate levels. Most of my research activity is integrally related to the mentoring I do with academic institutions around the world. Every culture has a unique set of expectations and standards against which quality education is measured; helping these institutions do strategic planning and create assessment plans to demonstrate the effectiveness of their pedagogy and curriculum gives me the opportunity to continuously interact with academic peers and meet students eager to advance not only their professions but also their lives and the success of their communities.

Q2. Where did you learn this incredible stuff you’re teaching? It is said that one learns best through mistakes, and mistakes can only occur if you are willing to take risks, meet new people, and try new things. I have always been willing to learn from my mistakes and eager to explore new cultures. I have had incredible mentors throughout my career, many of

whom resulted from an interaction in which I answered a question, provided information, or made a connection through networking. I believe that if an individual has an open mind and an eagerness to explore new realms, that individual can not only learn anything they encounter but also expand their circle of influence on a global scale.

Q3. What do you enjoy most about working with our participants? The Ecole des Ponts students, because of their diverse experiences and professional status, bring a wonderful mix of dialogue and inquiry to the classroom! I love that the discussion begins as soon as we walk in the door and continues until the last goodbye for the day. There is no lack of initiative and desire to learn, and the students have a level of maturity in interaction that exceeds many of the other environments I have experienced in the past. I admire the fact that the students have a keen desire to inspire and create change in their communities – this is what the world needs to move forward!

Q4. As a professor what do you hope to transmit to your students? I want every student to leave my classroom with a thirst for learning and an exhilaration about what they have experienced. I want to always convey the importance of an open mind and open heart, the value of dialogue, and the beauty of knowledge. At the end of every experience, I want to know that somehow I helped each student become a better person than they were when they walked in my classroom.

Q5. How does you course(s) help participants develop themselves personally & professionally? Qualitative research is, in my opinion, one of the key avenues to success regardless of walk of life. In this course students learn how to ask questions, how to listen to responses, how to see beyond the words, and how to understand the narrative of an image or experience. Whether they use the skills learned in this class to write great works of academic art or to be a more effective interviewer in the workplace, students will always benefit from learning to have an attitude of inquiry.

Blog -

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettecravenphd

CV –

Photo -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettecravenphd

Professor: Adam C. Bricker

Citizenship: USA

Affiliation: Steak ‘n Shake Entreprises, Inc. and ePowerLearning, Inc.

Module(s): Business Ethics & Corporate Governance, Doing Business in Emerging Markets, Introduction to Management, and Project Management


There are four areas of keen interest and study for me: 1) innovation via the application of information technology to improve services; e.g., education, restaurants, capital equipment maintenance; 2) start-up process and support with mentoring and angle investments; 3) discerning the difference between managing “projects” and “expeditions” and apply leading practices to the latter (PM being well understood); and 4) supporting non-profits/NGOs in their missions to lift people from poverty and provide “life in all its fullness.”


I started my career in aerospace – working on the most advanced weapon systems (cruise missiles, space vehicles) and learned that while I was an “OK’ engineer, my passion and abilities centered on systems engineering – the art and science of discerning what will really solve the problem/serve the client and then getting all the other disciplines (hardware, software, electronics, PM, mission planning, etc.) working together towards an optimized system. I then had the opportunity to consulting to and work for some of the most dynamic, aggressive and successful global companies (Boeing, Hyundai, Southwest Airlines, Yum!, World Vision, etc.) to apply the lessons I’d learned, and learn a great man more from these great companies. I’ve had the personal responsibility to lead large, complex projects for corporations, and to have invested in a number of start-ups. I’m “batting better than most” with my investments, but it’s still a complex, fun journey. Having now lived and worked in over 50 countries, my paradigms are few and my passions for learning are as keen as ever.


I’ve come to respect the teaching profession so very much, and I REALLY like to help people discern where they want to go… and then help them get there. Also, teaching forces you to really think about what you’re teaching, validate the key concepts with integrity, and then hone the ability to succinctly and clearly communicate that to others – and these are the

fundamental skills for a successful professional life (personal too). Finally, the students challenge me, inspire me, and give me yet another outlet to share my journey in the hopes they too will become passionate about building a more just and verdant world.


Each course has its own learning objectives, which I hope are achieved for each student. On another level, I hope to convey a pattern of thinking that continuously challenges what they think they know, how to dig deep into subjects in opposition to a world more and more obsessed with instant gratification (especially via a smart phone), and how to develop insights and opinions with constancy of purpose and clarity of thought. I also hope to inspire students with the incredible possibilities before them and that the journey is the purpose, not just the destination.


The subjects of which I am interested are applicable to virtually any profession – and to a life well lived. All the data a student receives can be filtered into the information they understand, and then on to the knowledge they possess and finally, to the wisdom they apply. I’ve applied advanced math to manufacturing operations, philosophy to mobile app development, critical thinking to restaurant innovations, project management and ethics to education, and a deep respect for all perspectives while working deep within “3rd world countries.” Where can I help you find your passion, develop your unique gifts and apply them to an endeavor worthy of your extended commitment? Along the way, you will need solid critical thinking skills, an overview of business, solid ethics, and the discipline of PM to succeed.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambricker1

Dorothy Dalton

Citizenship: U.K.

Affiliation:

Module(s): Career coaching, soft and leadership skills, job search strategies, political skills, networking, managing unconscious bias, executive presence, promotion grooming, post MBA coaching


https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambricker1

My main focus is the talent pipeline. I work with companies to identify, attract and retain the best talent to maximize business success for the organization, as well as the individual personally. I also specialize in coaching for individuals in career transition. I have coached probably thousands of international clients to achieve their professional goals, whatever they may be. I have an additional special interest in the development of female talent, via my company 3Plus International. I set up 3Plus to support women in the workplace and companies who seek gender balance. I am enjoying working in the area of unconscious bias, especially in the selection and promotion process.

I have an internationally recognized blog on career transition. As a regular panelist on issues related to the future of HR and work as well as gender balance, I contribute frequently to other media. I am a VIP commentator and interviewer for HRTechWorld. I am a conference speaker and trainer as well as being a member of the Oracle HR Influencers Group in the Tech sector. For my sins I am a ranked coach and recruiter on Twitter.

Q2. Where did you learn this incredible stuff you’re leveraging?

My career has spanned corporate H.R., European Sales & Marketing and global Executive Search, coaching and training. I’ve lived and worked internationally which has given me sound cross cultural understanding. Twice in my career I have gone from a relatively senior level to the bottom of the pile and learnt new skills. It’s been a great life lesson about ego and not to let it get in the way.


I love working with MBA students because it’s great to be around people with energy and commitment. The process is a two way street and I suspect learn as much from them as they do from me. They help me to stay connected to what’s going on in the market place and give me a different perspective.

Q4. As a coach what do you hope to transmit to your students?

My overall goal is to share career management tools that students can apply on their own. They are long term professional and life skills. Any client who works with me should have a good understanding of the need for self-reflection and inner work. When you are a busy MBA there is a tendency to want to fast forward through this part of the process and hope that everything will be sorted at the end. Generally it won’t be. Transition in all its forms is

challenging; but it should be fun. But it does require work. Self -insight is a critical leadership characteristic, usually achieved more thoroughly working with a trusted coach.

Q 5. How does your course(s) help participants develop themselves personally & professionally?

Steven Covey said “Begin with the end in mind.” Most students of any cohort choose to invest in an MBA because they want to enhance or change their career. It’s important to lock into career coaching early to explore options, establish strengths and career development areas. Soft skill development is vital for any career whether as an entrepreneur or within a corporate environment. These considerations can impact module choices as well as overall career goals. Career coaching is vital to this process and will have significant long term value. The courses I teach are life skills for career management. They help students drill down through what seem to be unclear possibilities, research their options to create a career strategy with a plan which they can adapt if necessary.

Blog – www.dorothydalton.com : www.3plusinternational.com

LinkedIn – https://be.linkedin.com/in/dorothydalton

Professor: Dermot McAleese

Citizenship: Irish

Affiliation: Trinity College Dublin

Module(s): Business Economics

Q1. What are your primary fields of interest/research?

https://be.linkedin.com/in/dorothydalton

http://www.3plusinternational.com/

http://www.dorothydalton.com/

International trade is my major field of research. I wrote my doctoral dissertation on the topic of measurement of protection and on the reaction of firms to a decline in the level of protection. I focused particularly on how protected manufacturing industries might be encouraged to shift from import-substitution activities to exports in response to declines in tariffs and non-tariff barriers. From there I proceeded to examine on the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in assisting the transition from protection to free trade. This turned out to be a crucially important factor in easing adjustment pressures. I published many papers on this subject. It was only a short step from this to the logical next question of how domestic economic policies impact on investment and growth. Thus began another long-standing and continuing interest and programme of research. How to make government business-friendly and yet at the same time deliver on improving social welfare and making the world a better place? Participants will recognize this as a central theme, and a continuing preoccupation, of my course on Business economics.


Economics is far more difficult than most people appreciate. Keynes described it as an easy subject at which few excel. Max Planck, the founder of Quantum Theory, no slouch when it comes to intellectual ability, once told Keynes that in early life he had thought of studying economic but had found it too difficult!

I read widely in Economics in my undergraduate years but I had a hankering to go into Business and applied on the milk round” to the great UK companies like Unilever and GKN for a position in their junior executive development programmes. The companies responded by offering me positions in their economics units. The penny dropped! I enrolled for a Master’s Degree on wrote a thesis on international trade and dumping. After that I was offered a lectureship in the University of Ghana in West Africa. The experience of living and teaching in a developing country (with a tropical climate!) had a profound effect on me. I became absolutely determined to develop expertise in economics and after a happy few years in Ghana I went to the US. I obtained a doctorate from The Johns Hopkins University. My thesis supervisor, Professor Bela Balassa, held a senior advisory position in the World Bank in nearby Washington DC. Those years of doctorate study were incredibly productive; it involved taking a wide range of modules in economic theory, statistics, econometrics, mathematics and international trade. I was eager to apply this knowledge to improving people’s standard of living and thus began a life-long enthusiasm for applied economics.

As I progressed up the academic ladder, I was called upon to serve in the public sector as director of the Central Bank of Ireland and as chair and member of numerous government committees. I spent periods in The World Bank and sabbaticals abroad. I advised business organisations. All these experiences enriched my knowledge of economics.

And let me not forget. I owe a huge debt to successive MBA classes for sharing their experience of life at the coalface of business and helping me to his day to learn from these bright and enthusiastic people taking the business economics module.


Our MBA participants tend to be a delightful bunch of people. They work hard and approach their work with enthusiasm. They tolerate my foibles with good humour. Because they bring with them several years of experience, they tend to be lively participants in class discussions. They also manage to have fun. Teaching them is demanding but overall an undiluted pleasure.


Here’s what I wrote on my module outline for January 2016 about my specific objectives for the business course. I don’t see any reason to change it. At a more general level, I hope participants will be persuaded to maintain an interest in economics and that they will appreciate that economic growth is not the only thing that contributes to the good life.

On completion of this module your management skills should be underpinned by a greater understanding of contemporary economic issues and of best practice economic policies. Specifically, this module is designed to facilitate the following outcomes:

1. An understanding of how the market system operates, its strengths and limitations, and of how market forces in certain circumstances can be moderated and controlled.

2. Insight into the analytical basis of economic policy decisions at micro and macro level in an increasingly globalised economy.

3. Appreciation of the forces determining economic growth and the rebalancing of economic power from advanced economies to emerging economies.

4. A foundation in economics that will enable you to evaluate the implications of economic changes for your company and sector.


It’s impossible to open the business page of any leading newspaper these days without coming across an article that addresses some economic issue or other. As a participant’s career develops, they will need to be able to read these articles. Business executives also need to communicate their views on economic policies to government and the public. (Witness the Brexit debate for instance.) To do this a basic understanding of the jargon of economics and of economic principles is essential. At a personal level, this ability to

comprehend will make for a rounded citizen, capable of making a difference to a business and to society at large.

Professor: Dr. Elias A. Hadzilias

Citizenship: Greek

Affiliation: International School of Management, Paris, France.

Module: Operations Management

Q1. What are your primary fields of interest/research?

I started to work 20 years ago in the field of Supply Chain Management in the context of Enterprise Modelling and ERP-driven Business Process Reengineering. My contributions mainly concern models and solutions for the extended supply chains. In the recent years, I have developed a strong interest in green supply chain management and reverse logistics related to Electric and Electronic Equipment (EEE), which has reached its end-of-life or end-of-use. My consulting activities include quality/environmental auditing (ISO 9001:2015, LCA), SAP-related projects and business blueprinting for ERP implementation.


It has been more than 20 years that I have been working in several projects related either to my engineering background or to my management consulting activities, which represent an

endless source of practical knowledge. The starting point of theoretical knowledge can be identified in the courses of my engineering school, allowing me to explore technology, business and information systems in a very rigorous and interesting manner. My teachers have always been inspiring and acted as role models. In a few words, it is like a baton relay race: my teachers conveyed to me what I know, I run my part of the race and carefully pass on the baton to the next runner, that is, to the students I teach. Having as a personal goal to improve continuously and to broaden my knowledge in management/engineering domains, I have taught several different courses and I plan to expand my teaching horizons further in the future. This goal is associated to the Socratic principle of knowing nothing and therefore one must keep trying learning. This learning process is conveyed to my students as a way to learn how to learn. To quote the ancient Athenian statesman Solon: ”I grow old learning something new everyday”.


The best part of working with the participants is to observe how they progress and evolve during the seminars, as they grasp and explore the concepts presented and then create their own new ideas which are shared in the class. It is extremely refreshing to see the participants with plenty of passion and determination to discuss about their individual approach and discuss them with their fellow participants in a collective spirit. The fact that all the participants have a very diverse background spanning from engineering to biotechnology, serves as ground for an interactive class atmosphere, generating many questions and making knowledge have a bi-directional flow: as they learn, I learn as well. Needless to say that the Socratic and Solonic principles are hidden behind this interactive learning process!


The main priority is to achieve the learning outcomes as outlined in the course syllabus. Due to the dense nature of the seminar there are many new concepts to be presented in a very limited amount of time. On a second note, Ι hope to get across that the course concepts can be applied throughout several disciplines and knowledge areas. Finally, I encourage students to reflect on the appropriateness and effectiveness of managing operations within their working environments.

Q5. How does your course help participants develop themselves personally & professionally? The Operations Management course presents several concepts which can be applied across several disciplines and knowledge areas. On a personal level, participants can develop themselves by enhancing research and communication skills during the group exercises and

individual assignments. On a professional level, participants enrich their learning related to fundamental Operations Management concepts existing in every type of manufacturing and service organisation, which currently employ the participants or will hire them in the future.

Professor: David Pollon

Citizenship: USA

Affiliation: The American University of Rome

Module(s): Management Accounting


My interests are in the area where business, culture and entertainment intersect. My professional career began as a business planner for the Walt Disney Company writing economic plans for entering new international territories. Later I became a finance director for Disney’s film studios in the US, the UK and Italy. When I left to pursue teaching my research focused on cultural heritage, specifically how to measure the economic value of what is known as ‘built heritage’, or ancient buildings and monuments.


I try to bring both my professional experience and my academic experience into the classroom. At Disney I learned the advantages and disadvantages of working in a competitive corporate environment in several different countries. Later, while pursuing my PhD, I participated in an archeological dig in Albania and presented a paper on the my related economic research at an international conference on cultural heritage. These experiences have given me numerous and varied examples to illustrate concepts in the classroom.


I love teaching. It is my real passion and one of the few professions where feedback, explicit or implicit, is instant and often comprehensive. As someone who likes improving processes, this allows me to get a little better every time. It is the students, though, who make it fun and interesting. Besides the more formal settings for learning, I view my students as a great source of knowledge. Their participation helps me understand their backgrounds and how what I teach can be made relevant to their lives. Their questions are an indispensable guide

to the next generation’s interests and aspirations. It is often from students that I first hear of a new development that bears researching on my part.


I want to demystify the quantitative subjects I teach. Finance and accounting shouldn’t frighten students, even those that don’t enjoy math. There’s a logic and a usefulness to these subjects that students often fail to appreciate. I would hope to change that. Whatever fields students want to pursue, they shouldn’t approach these subjects as something to learn and forget, material that will be left to others to handle. Instead, my goal is to get students to become comfortable with them and recognize their value in any business.

Q5. How does your course(s) help participants develop themselves personally & professionally?

On a professional level, the need to understand finance and accounting will become clear once someone enters into management. All managers will get budget responsibilities and will have to make forecasts. Top managers will have regular meetings with finance directors and perhaps be their boss some day. Understanding the finance and accounting basics is therefore crucial, both for understanding colleagues and for meeting management goals.

On a personal level, I try to give students the chance to arrive at logical conclusions on their own. Even where there is only one right answer, I try to keep students away from memorizing their way to it. It’s a process to be learned, not a template to be copied. They will never get exactly the same questions I present to them in class, but the concepts and issues will present themselves repeatedly in their lives, in and outside of work. If students feel a little more comfortable confronting them, I will have done my job.

Professor: Alessandro BISCACCIANTI

Citizenship: Italian and French

Affiliation: Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Ecole des Ponts Business School

Module(s): International Business Negotiations


My primary fields of interest /research are Change Management and all methodologies related to it: Strategic Thinking, Leadership, Team Management, Project Management, Negotiations, Communication, Innovation, Design Thinking, Creativity, etc.)

I have just finished writing a book on the impact of Neurobiological and Emotional factors on individual and collective performance in order to substantiate the effectiveness of ‘Leading by Dynamic Stability’, the transformational change model I have designed.


I have been practicing them all along my carrier as project manager, architect, entrepreneur, consultant, coach. I have been fortunate to meet wonderful people on my way amongst my colleagues, clients and of course my professors during my doctorate, MBA, engineering and political sciences studies.

I spent as well a lot of time reading and being curious of what is explored in other disciplines, like neurobiology, hypnosis, etc...

And then of course I meditate a lot which helps me to experience the reflective thinking necessary to structure all these incredible stuff in a suitable form for teaching and consulting.


Diversity and enthusiasm combined with their above the average experience and competences are an enjoyable cocktail for a person who likes to be challenged and explore complexity as I do.


The most important things to transmit to participants are

- the capability to have a global view of the context to design a strategic approach - and at the same time the capability to go deep to specific details in order to correctly

implement effective tactics

As well I focus a lot on having them aware of how important is mastering self to gather serenity and leverage their talents.


It’s a very challenging seminar where they are required to play complex games, analyze real life examples, share their experience and understand systemic approaches to negotiation.

This require the development of their reflective thinking skills and a real commitment to stretch the boundaries of their comfort zone well beyond intellectual skills towards emotional and behavioral awareness.

As well they have to deal with a interpersonal relationship issues and group cohesiveness management.

Blog –

www.leadingdynamicstability.com

LinkedIn –

https://fr.linkedin.com/in/bisca

Professor: Emily Song

Citizenship: Chinese

Affiliation: Ecole des Ponts Business School

Module(s): Accounting Basics


At the moment, my primary interests include: a) how financial accounting keeps pace with technological innovation, especially the complexity of revenue recognition method under the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the context of multiple deliverables; b) what

is the impact of a company’s accounting choice on its company valuation; c) market efficiency: whether a change in accounting method can affect firm value; and d) whether managers should be granted flexibility to reflect the economic reality of innovative tech products and minimize room for manipulation of financial disclosure.


I learned a lot through first-hand experience in the financial industry. I started my business career as management trainee at ING Bank in 1995, right after the rogue trader Nick Leeson shook the financial world by causing the spectacular collapse of Barings Bank, the oldest merchant bank in Britain, through fraudulent, unauthorized speculative trades. I joined ING Barings N.V. as financial controller shortly after ING acquired Barings for the nominal sum of £1 and assumed all of Barings' liabilities. Like any younger analyst at an investment bank, I spent an average 100 hours per week crunching numbers and preparing monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports for the regional office (the Greater China area), the European headquarters in Amsterdam, as well as preparing financial reports for the Chinese central bank and the Stock Exchange Commission. The three years I spent performing such work helped me to develop a solid fundamental understanding of financial reporting.

Upon graduating from my MBA at Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (yes I am ENPC alumni, class 2000), I worked as a business developer at Winstar communications in Brussels. My job responsibilities evolved into evaluating investment projects of acquiring wireless bandwidth from European regulators. This working experience further enriched my knowledge of financial modeling & valuation analysis of capital investment projects.

Besides my professional experience, my other most important source of learning is actually from teaching students! In fact, I think the person who learns the most in any classroom is the teacher and every time when I walk into the classroom, I am always looking forward to “helping students learn” as well as learning from them.


Nothing in my academic professional life brings me greater joy and exhilaration than giving a lecture where students are learning and engaged. And there is nothing that brings more satisfaction than helping students combine their past knowledge with the new knowledge and skills they learned in the classroom to solve real life problems.

Just as each student’s past knowledge and experiences are different, so too is each student’s interpretation and understanding of my lecture. I always enjoy learning from my students and feel greatly rewarded by my interactions with them.


New students in my class commonly have a big misconception about the course: that accounting is just about numbers! Accounting is not about numbers! Numbers are merely the medium through which values, and the changes to these values, are expressed. Accounting is as much as an art as science!

The goal of my class is not to train students to become accountants, but to help them develop a broad managerial decision making perspective. Some accounting courses especially on the undergraduate level, are designed for students with major in accounting who want to purse accounting career. At business school, the objective is to make students better managers by enabling them to understand the basic accounting concepts and principals and to use accounting information as a tool to help them (future managers) to make informed managerial decision or to improve the quality of decision making. For instance, undergraduate accounting is focused on bookkeeping. Students are taught how to record business transactions in journals, and then post to general ledger and finally prepare financial statements. On the graduate level, the course is more focused on how to use the accounting information to make business decisions. This perspective is essential to helping the students understand how accounting is a vital tool to making informed business decisions.


Most people think accounting is drop dead boring. Me, I am continuously surprised by its power and applicability as an art. I hope I am able to provide students with a glimpse of its beauty, but at the same time raise their awareness of the dark side of the financial reporting by examining some of the biggest accounting scandals of all time. Hopefully we’ll all become more mindful when it comes to ethical decision making situations and be better protected against the dark side.

Speaking about choosing sides, here’s some wisdom from a galaxy far far away: “Dark side, it is easier, quicker, and more seductive, but remember, do or do not, there is NO TRY, choose wisely!”

Blog - https://www.luxe-em.com/blogs/news

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-song-13666b

Professor: Chris Smith

Citizenship: UK/Australian

Affiliation: University of Adelaide Business School, South Australia/Warwick Business School, UK

Module(s): Human Resource Management and Change


a) Strategy and organizationb) People (in organizations)c) Improving learning outcomes in higher education


In my first career as a psychologist I came to understand the importance of context on the behaviour, emotions and cognitions of human beings. Having failed many times (failure is the best teacher) to achieve anything meaningful with people with the ‘tools’ of management during my time in Corporate HT and as a GM/CEO I went back to university to complete a doctorate in strategy and organization (i.e. people in context). Here I re-learned the very old lesson that ‘there is nothing so practical as a good theory’ (Lewin). And so I learned from practice, failure and studying.


I like the fact that they are sufficiently self-confident to challenge the views I present. We

have the classic intellectual thesis-antithesis-synthesis that is at the heart of all new learning

– their’s and mine.


Beware of anyone who offers ‘tools’ as mechanisms for managing the complexities of organizational life. They have all proven fallible in the past and there is little to suggest that they will be prove any more robust in the future. Thinking (with the emphasis on the ‘…ing’) is the key ingredient behind successful action in organizations not the mindless application of some ‘practical’ ‘technique’.


It helps them come to grips with the fact that in most of the static decisions they are going to make in their corporate lives they are going to be wrong and that the key to success is to use this apparent ‘failure’ as feedback to correct their inputs and hence shape their actions towards ones that are ‘right’. Being wrong is not necessarily a sign of incompetence but a sign of taking a risk in situations where the odds of success are not as high as the odds of failure. Learning from error rather than hiding from it is a key characteristic of successful managers and entrepreneurs.

LinkedIn – https://au.linkedin.com/in/chris-smith-b119a54

Professor: Xavier Garcia-Weibel

Citizenship: France

Affiliation:

Module(s): Innovation Management & Design thinking, Coaching and Leadership programme


In that particular point of my life, they are two-fold: first, integrating various sources of knowledge with regard to leadership expression and its interaction with the environment. Second, I am still heavily focusing on innovation and by the limitations and supporting factors which support innovation in large organisations. On both topics, I am becoming more and more cognizant of behavioral traits (“being”) and their application through programs and projects (“doing”)


I am proud to be a person whose knowledge comes primarily from experience rather than theory even if a solid methodology is the foundation for more freedom and interpretation afterwards. I have been occupying different leadership positions in organisations when innovation and transformation were always present as a red thread and permeated almost everything I had the chance to do. If I had to summarize my answer, I’d say that it has been a very rewarding journey and I let students embark on this journey with me. All aboard!


I am deeply grateful for the various moments during the course when students make sense of a particular aspect of the course which I guess will shape the rest of their career or their life. During the course, it might be just a new awareness, something (a tool, a method or a behavior) which they are trying just for a few days. And I know that they are sowing the seeds for something much bigger, broader and powerful. I guess what I enjoy the most is sharing hope…


That team and personal transformation may come at any moment. Transformation is a conscious choice which in itself has inner and profound power.


By learning to just “be”, outside any recipe or plan. I am here to support you to express your DNA and become aware of the DNA of groups and teams, especially the ones focusing on innovation.

The courses I lead act as the container: each student takes responsibility for how much they want to learn and grow in class and tomorrow…

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/xaviergarciaweibel

Professor: Younes SEKKOURI

Citizenship: MOROCCO

Affiliation: Ecole des Ponts Business School

Module(s): BUSINESS STRATEGY


Corporate Strategy, Organizational Design, Public policies, Risk Management, Design thinking, Leadership and Negotiation, change and transformation management and entrepreneurship.


My professional experience offered me the opportunity to learn and share knowledge and know -how in different fields. Indeed, I was offered different positions ranging from the job of consultant, entrepreneur, Advisor to members of the Government and Member of the Parliament.

My academic background is also responsible for the passion I developed for these fields, especially the EMBA Program with Ecole des Ponts Business School and Fox School of Business in the Paris Campus in addition to the ASPEN INSTITUE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM in Paris. My ongoing and about to finish PHD in strategic management provides valuable theoretical and research material that feeds the teaching experience.


As most of the participants come from the professional world, they feed the course through the analysis they make of the cases and situations which makes the teaching experience also

http://www.linkedin.com/in/xaviergarciaweibel

a learning one to the professor. Less experienced students provide a more fresh and non-conventional input.


Strategic thinking, scrutiny in the analysis, occasionally non-conventional wisdom patterns, the art of communication and the spirit of group work


Compared to other business disciplines, business strategy may be the managerial area that requires beyond any quantifiable skills, a ‘thought pattern” or “mindset” that translates into what is commonly known as “strategic thinking”. This particularity makes the course challenging in terms of outcomes as the teaching style and method must ensure the participants start developing and integrating the dimension of “strategic thinking” into their managerial mindset.

To do so, this course is designed as a combination of formal lectures with case studies and actual managerial situations where students develop critical analysis, master the implementation of related quantitative methods and learn the importance and the way to enhance communication and group work skills.

This intense experience of collectively building strategies, under constraints of time and competitive pressure, provides the students a unique opportunity to learn how to start transforming their “thinking patterns” to better serve their personal and professional paths.

LinkedIn – https://ma.linkedin.com/in/younes-sekkouri-562b0359

Name: Julie Leitz

Citizenship: French

Affiliation: École des Ponts Business School, Human-Centric Leaders Alliance, Julie Leitz Coaching & Training.

Module(s): Professor of “Experiencing Coaching Leadership”, Professor of “Leadership and Team Building” (2015-2016 eMBA cohort), Co-Leader of the “Leadership & Career Development programme” for the full-time MBA 2016-2017 cohort, Coach.


I am currently very interested in the behavioural, emotional and cognitive flexibility required to be a great leader in today’s world. More specifically, I have been looking into how the larger context of any situation determines a leader’s needed behavior to generate the desired outcomes. This implies a requirement for great flexibility and adaptability to navigate many possible needed behaviours, while staying authentic to oneself. My colleague Xavier Garcia-Weibel and myself are currently developing our own leadership methodology and framework around this idea.

My work as a coach and leadership development trainer in large corporations is what lead me to develop this theory. My background is in is psychology and neuroscience and, for as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the cognitive, behavioural and emotional mechanisms that facilitate change. In fact, I spent several years working in the lab before becoming a corporate leadership development trainer. One of the things that I love the most about what I do now is that it combines theory and real world practice.

Q2. Where did you learn this incredible stuff you’re leveraging?

With an academic background in psychology and neuroscience, I learned a lot of what I know about what allows a person to grow their leadership during my studies and working in different research labs at the University of Oxford and University College London. I am passionate about research indeed. However, theory is only part of the story. Indeed, the executives, managers, employees and students around the world I have the honour to work with have inspired me and taught me so much over the years. Every time I facilitate a workshop or teach, I am amazed by the invaluable wealth of knowledge that is present in the room.


Ecole des Ponts Business School participants are always willing to engage and stretch their comfort zones to grow – I find this hugely inspiring! In addition, the incredible mix of culture and backgrounds present make each session a unique experience.

Q4. As a coach what do you hope to transmit to your students?

I hope to transmit the awareness that they are agents and leaders of their lives and careers. I also hope to facilitate the access to all the things they don’t know they know yet about themselves, what they want and what they are capable of!


The various courses I teach all focus on how to be a better leader. This is like asking: who do you need to be and how do you need to act to enable people and projects given the dynamic nature of any situation? It is by definition a transformational experience, the outcome of which is personal and professional development.

Website – www.humancentricleaders.com

LinkedIn – http://linkd.in/1b61fR7

CV – Attached

Photo -

Professor: Alan Matthews

Citizenship: Irish

Affiliation: Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland

Module(s): Economics for Business


I trained as an economist and originally I was really taken by the challenges of development economics – this was in the 1970s when many African countries had achieved their independence in the previous decade. I went to work in Zambia with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and developed a life-long interest in issues of agricultural and food policy, international trade and development, and agricultural trade and food

http://linkd.in/1b61fR7

http://www.humancentricleaders.com/

security. My very first published paper was on European food aid policy which managed to combine all of these interests. Over the years, a particular focus of my research has been the impacts of developed country (especially the EU) agricultural and trade policies on developing countries. My interest in trade issues has led to participation in a number of WTO dispute panels where I have been able to see at first hand the importance of a rules-based trading system – this is a public good which we need to defend at all costs.

More recently, I have been involved in thinking about the future of EU agricultural policy in a world where food demand continues to increase, we are pushing against the limits of certain resources (land, water and possibly phosphates), we are facing the challenges of climate change and there is a continuing loss of natural capital. Avoiding dangerous climate change is one of the major challenges we face as a global community. My interest here is in the role of agriculture and food production rather than transforming the energy system. Agriculture is one of the sectors most likely to be affected by climate change, it also has to contribute to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, but it also can be part of the solution, through soil carbon sequestration and bioenergy production. I have a particular interest in these issues as a member of the Irish Climate Change Advisory Council whose remit is to advise the Irish government on how best to achieve its climate mitigation and adaptation objectives.


I am very much an applied economist, interested in the interface between economics and policy. It is surprising how far an understanding of simple economic concepts can bring you when designing good policy interventions. The motivation for what I do comes from the hope it will contribute to better policy-making. So I have benefited enormously from interacting with the policy world. This takes the form of commissioned reports, interacting at conferences, presenting lectures or just talking to people. It is also important as a policy economist to keep up with current issues, particularly in teaching. I have always felt that teaching applied economics courses is more demanding than teaching introductory or methodological courses because the material is always changing. I am a great believer in the value of networking, listening to colleagues, reading what they are writing, visiting their institutions and learning from them at conferences. I believe that professional associations can play a great role in contributing to learning. For this reason, I have played an active role in my own professional association, serving as President of the European Association of Agricultural Economists for a number of years.


I am a relatively new member of the Faculty. Working with students on an MBA program who already have some work experience and career skills is a very different state of affairs to

teaching undergraduate students. The big difference? – the questions! Being in a classroom with ENPC students is a much more interactive experience. One is challenged as the lecturer all the time – students come with counter-examples which need to be explained, and project work is much more informed by the students’ own experiences. I am also very impressed by the camaraderie that builds up among students in the classes that I have taught – an MBA course is very intensive and demanding, not least for part-time students who are also juggling work and family demands, and the mutual support that students give to each other is very encouraging.


Students come to an MBA course from both the private and the public sectors, and they will be most knowledgeable about, and most comfortable with, their specific areas of responsibility. The course that I teach, Economics for Business, aims to open up the broader economic policy context within which the day-to-day work responsibilities of class participants takes place. So my first objective is to encourage students to see the broader picture, and to begin to think about how these broader trends can impact on their specific areas of responsibility. Newspapers, radio and television and social media are full of information and commentary on economic issues. A more specific objective is to make sure that students have the economic vocabulary to understand these debates and to begin to understand some of the economic forces at work in our globalized world, so that they can come to a more informed opinion about who is talking sense. I am also very firm about the importance of good data for decision-making and showing students where to find good sources of economic data on the web.


I suppose to answer this question you would need to get the views and testimonials of the students themselves. Along with the other Faculty, I hope I can get across to students a sense of what good standards are when it comes to conceptualizing, formulating and presenting ideas. Students may not always be successful in hitting the highest standards, but this is less important than gaining an understanding of what good standards are. People coming on an MBA course from busy careers often have highly-developed skills in being able to quickly identify, source and assemble factual information – this is often a part of their job specifications. What I hope my course helps students to do is to show the relevance and importance of trying to take a more analytical perspective, of thinking through the pros and cons (both always exist!), of testing assumptions and, in general, learning to take a more critical perspective when handling an issue or working with data.

Blog - www.capreform.eu

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewsalan

http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewsalan

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