Nick Quinn: “Modern CEOs are expected to have a voice on equity, the environment and wider social issues and that pressure is not going away. We prepare candidates for this expectation through client-facing projects where those questions can’t be parked to one side; they have to be built into recommendations, trade-offs and implementation plans. We then test those ideas in sessions with client partners and teaching staff who are very honest about the pressures and risks that come with taking a stand. “Our current cohort spans 13 nationalities, so every discussion about social equity or environmental stewardship is grounded in multinational lived experience, not just theory. We connect that diversity of perspective with the day-to-day running of the programme; for instance, our fortnightly informal representative meetings (we call them coffee and cake sessions) actually drive change on the programme and give our candidates a powerful voice. Students learn when silence does more harm than good, how to line up their teams before speaking out and how to exercise judgement under scrutiny. It’s practical political learning, built on collective experience.” How can an international business school ensure its global leaders remain sensitive to the local communities in which they operate? Sandra Richez: “At EDHEC, we don’t just teach this principle – we live it. We collaborate with organisations like PWN French Riviera, which champions women in leadership through its global network and our dedicated incubator, TechForward, is itself the fruit of local education alliances. Every startup in our incubators applies responsible entrepreneurship methodologies created by EDHEC entrepreneurs, ensuring that new ventures are sustainable from the get-go. “Our engagement extends far beyond the classroom. When Nice hosted the UN Ocean Summit in 2025, EDHEC’s Climate Institute brought conferences to campus, with students playing an active role in the event’s organisation. Our third annual Sustainability Week in February brought together local partners in bicycle repair, water conservation and workshops on sustainability and inclusion. “Sustainability at EDHEC is also felt in everyday campus life: there are ride-sharing and green mobility initiatives, as well as vegetarian and locally sourced menus in the cafeteria, plus a commitment to carrying these practices forward throughout the year.” Adrian Buss: “For MBA students to become responsible leaders, it is critical that they understand the impact that their decisions have on local communities and how their actions affect other stakeholders. Hence, a key element of our leadership teaching centres around ethics & morality in general and business ethics in particular. “Indeed, our Ethical Leadership course discusses in detail the purpose of ethics, major ethical concepts and those frameworks that guide ethical decision-making in business. This also includes
a discussion of ethical pitfalls and barriers to good ethical decision‑making. Finally, many elements of that course are co-designed by students; divided into groups, they prepare and present key topics and thereby naturally integrate their own experiences.” Nick Quinn: “Being a global leader is meaningless if you can’t read the local context. We deliberately and unashamedly anchor the programme in Glasgow and in Scotland. Candidates work with a wide range of local organisations through visits, workshops, masterclasses and joint problem-solving sessions that take account of specific histories, communities and local constraints. They then test how, and whether, broader frameworks and tools apply in different contexts, including through outdoor activities that make the notion of ‘place’ very tangible. “Alumni and practitioner events help to keep those experiences alive and evolving rather than as one-off encounters. Candidates quickly see why off-the-shelf solutions can often fail and they get used to listening first, adapting and then acting. The result is a graduate who can operate confidently across borders, but who understands they are there to build value with local communities, not simply to extract it.” Eva Guerra-Leal: “Global leadership begins with cultural intelligence. While business is increasingly interconnected, economic and social realities remain deeply local. For future executives, understanding that tension is essential. At EGADE we cultivate this awareness through diverse classrooms, international exchanges and close engagement with industry and public-sector partners across Latin America and beyond. Students work with
20 Ambition • ISSUE 2 • 2026
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online