About ESSEC Business School

Alan Jenkins is a Full Professor in the Department of Management at ESSEC Business School, France, where he has been teaching since 1990. His courses primarily focus on Organizational Behaviour and Organizational Theory across various programs, including the ESSEC PhD, MS in Human Resource Management, and Executive MBA. He specializes in team leadership, group dynamics, and conflict management in workplace settings and beyond.

Alex Slors brings 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, combining practical knowledge of hotel operations with insights from corporate environments within esteemed international companies such as Le Meridien and Dorchester Collection. Since 2006, he has worked as an independent consultant, specializing in assisting hotel owners and investors in maximizing asset value. His projects encompass asset management for portfolios belonging to Starwood, Marriott, and IHG, along with a diverse range of development initiatives across the globe.

Anne-Claire Pache serves as the Deputy General Director of ESSEC, overseeing initial training, and holds the Chair in Philanthropy as a Full Professor. A co-founder of the Social Entrepreneurship Chair, she has been actively involved in its development alongside Thierry Sibieude, who is also a Full Professor. A graduate of ESSEC (1994), she earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, specializing in nonprofit management (2001), and completed her PhD in Organizational Behavior at INSEAD.

Arnaud De Bruyn is a Professor of Marketing at ESSEC Business School, specializing in the intersection of marketing analytics and information technologies. His research interests and consulting practice focus on Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Database and Interactive Marketing, and Customer Targeting. Additionally, he serves as Affiliated Faculty at the Institute for the Study of Business Markets at Penn State University, where he contributes to the B2B Customer Analytics Program.

Arthur Gautier serves as the Executive Director of the Philanthropy Chair and is a researcher at ESSEC Business School. He holds a PhD in Management Sciences from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris (2009) and graduated from the École Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers (2005). His research interests encompass philanthropy and sponsorship, institutional change, business ethics, and political philosophy, with numerous publications in these fields. Previously, he was in charge of the publications and events division at Admical, a hub for corporate philanthropy, and worked as a consultant in cultural project management.

Based in Duetto's London office, Augustin leads customer success with a strong passion for showcasing the impact of technology on pricing strategies. He partners with both new and existing clients to enhance their revenue approaches and drive profitability. Before joining Duetto, he served as Regional Director of Revenue for Starwood Capital's UK city center assets, managed by Principal Hayley, Four Pillars, and De Vere Venues. His earlier experience includes revenue management roles at Concorde Hotels and The Set Hotels. He holds a degree from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland.

Aurélien Colson, PhD, MBA, is a Professor of Political Science at ESSEC Business School, ranked #3 globally for its Master of Science in Management (FT International Ranking 2015). He directs the Institute for Research and Education on Negotiation (IRENE) with campuses in Paris, Singapore, and Brussels, which is one of ESSEC’s eight Centers of Excellence. His acclaimed research on negotiation has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and he is the author or co-author of several books, including the best-seller The First Move (Wiley), which has been translated into 10 languages. Colson also co-directs the journal Négociations and has led negotiation missions across 40 countries for corporations and international organizations. He has contributed to post-conflict mediation and has twice been elected to the Steering Committee of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (Brussels). Colson integrates cutting-edge research with practical experience in the negotiation training programs he designs and delivers worldwide. Previously, he served as an advisor to the French Prime Minister (1998-2002). He currently resides in Paris, where he enjoys cooking for his friends.

Brendan May is the Chief Operating Officer at Livabout, a company focused on providing innovative solutions in the travel and lifestyle sector. He is also associated with ESSEC Business School, where he engages in courses related to demand management, emphasizing the need to dismantle traditional commercial silos.

David Autissier is a lecturer at IAE Gustave Eiffel with authorization to direct research and serves as the Director of the ESSEC Chair of Change. As a leading expert in transformation strategy for large organizations, he has authored approximately 40 books on change management and related topics.

Originally from Scotland, David has dedicated the past 20 years to the hospitality industry, specializing in hotel demand management. In 2006, he founded Yeeld Solutions, a Revenue Management and Distribution consulting firm, and since 2012, he has served as co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of SnapShot GmbH. David is deeply involved in product development at SnapShot, overseeing the Product, Customer Experience, Consultancy, and Education divisions. Previously, he held senior roles in revenue management for Design Hotels AG, as well as for Le Meridien and Como Hotels and Resorts in the UK.

Edgar Morin, a leading philosopher and sociologist, holds honorary doctorates from several prestigious universities worldwide and is Director Emeritus at CNRS. His work significantly influences contemporary thought, not only in France but also across the Mediterranean and Latin America. Morin's seminal contributions, particularly through his major work The Method, address key philosophical concepts and tackle the challenge of understanding the complexity of reality.

Gilles Panczer, a biomedical engineering graduate (UTC 1986), spent 15 years in the biomedical imaging industry before transitioning to the automotive sector. His career, including positions at industry leaders like GE Healthcare (1989-2002) and Renault (2003-present), enabled him to develop expertise in Operational Excellence. From Lean expert on mammography production lines to Six Sigma project leader and Master Black Belt in X-ray tube manufacturing, Gilles has led numerous industrial performance and service improvement projects. At Renault-Nissan Consulting, he has spearheaded major initiatives like Lean-Sigma programs and corporate strategy deployment. With 16 years of experience advising companies such as Airbus, Safran, EDF, and BNP, his global expertise—gained from roles in Egypt, Israel, Romania, and missions across all continents—helps him manage the Operational Excellence and Transformation practice at Renault-Nissan Consulting.

Isabelle Vandangeon-Derumez is a senior lecturer authorized to supervise research at IAE Gustave Eiffel. A prolific author of numerous articles and books, her research focuses on participative approaches to change management.

Jan Lepoutre, PhD, is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at ESSEC Business School and serves as the Academic Director of the ESSEC Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, overseeing activities across its three campuses, including its incubators. With a multidisciplinary background in engineering, economics, and sociology, his research focuses on innovation and strategies in uncertain environments, particularly in addressing complex social and environmental challenges and industrial technology. He teaches entrepreneurship and innovation strategy across various ESSEC programs and has held visiting positions at ETH Zürich and CentraleSupélec.

Jean-Marie Peretti, a professor at ESSEC, is a leading specialist in human resources. He has authored numerous books and publications on HR and management. As editor-in-chief of Question(s) de Management and director of the ESSEC Chair of Change, he frequently leads seminars and conferences on HR topics worldwide.

Jean-Michel Moutot is an associate researcher at the ESSEC Chair of Change and a Management professor at AUDENCIA Management School in Nantes. With a PhD in Management from HEC Paris and an engineering background from ENAC, he brings a wealth of expertise as a former associate partner at an Anglo-Saxon consulting firm, specializing in corporate change initiatives.

Ph.D. from Stanford University, AM from Stanford University, MA from the University of British Columbia, and BA from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. My research focuses on social psychology, exploring decision-making and evaluation processes in small groups, as well as issues related to gender, ethnicity, and legitimacy. In the realm of organizations, I study organizational change in volatile environments, particularly within professional organizations. My work spans various sectors, including health care (comparative studies in the U.S., Japan, and France), professions such as physicians, accountants, and lawyers, and established sectors facing turbulence, like telecommunications, aerospace, and health care.

Laurent Bibard, a graduate of ESSEC, holds a DEA in Philosophy from Paris IV Sorbonne, a doctorate in Socio-Economics of Change from EHESS, and a DEA in Organizational Analysis from IEP Paris. He works as a consultant for businesses and public organizations across the industrial, health, and energy sectors. An accomplished author, he has written multiple works in Management and Philosophy, including Sexuality and Globalization: An Introduction to a Phenomenology of Sexualities, published by Palgrave Macmillan as part of the "Recovering Political Philosophy" series, directed by T. Pangle & T. Burns in September 2014.

Lennert de Jong is a highly experienced hospitality professional who began his career with SynXis in Europe in 1999, gaining extensive knowledge in hotel distribution. Transitioning to the role of hotelier in 2006, he joined citizenM, where he now leads the company’s commercial strategy and transformational initiatives. A recognized thought leader in hotel online marketing, demand management, and sales, Lennert co-founded Snapshot alongside David Turnbull, Michael Heinze, and Michael Levie. He currently chairs the Revenue Management Advisory Board of HSMAI Europe, showcasing his influence in the distribution landscape.

Jean-Christophe Patout is the Director of Operational Excellence at Orano, where he oversees the deployment of excellence systems across production, services, engineering, and support functions. He leads initiatives in training, managerial coaching, and skills development, while also driving problem-solving methods, model zones, hoshin kanri, and industry 4.0 deployment. Previously, he led the transformation at Areva and Orano during their separation, and for 19 years, he held various managerial roles at PSA Peugeot Citroën, including directing assembly plants and developing PSA's excellence system. He holds an engineering degree from the Ecole des Mines de Paris and IMD in Lausanne.