The HBS Club of France hosted 250 alumni and guests at the Institut de France for the HBS European Alumni Summit, held October 21–23. The conference, titled Re.Invent: Leadership for Sustainable Future, featured leaders and experts from industry, academia, and the nonprofit sector deliberating the global business imperative for sustainability in the face of climate change.

“Sustainability is becoming a major topic in companies, and especially in Europe,” says François-Xavier Oliveau (MBA 2002), who served as president of the summit’s 13-member organizing committee. “Consumers, workers, government, and financial institutions are putting increasing pressure on companies to provide more sustainable products and services. We felt it would be interesting to share how leadership is impacted by environmental and social stakes. As leaders, how should we adapt to this new context? What should we do differently? How can we turn those constraints into a competitive advantage?”

HBS Professor Gunnar Trumbull opened the summit by “setting the facts straight about the imperative for climate awareness,” says Oliveau. Other keynote speakers included HBS Professor Brian Trelstad, who introduced a finance panel with an overview of impact investing’s rise over the last decade; UC-Berkeley Professor Stuart Russell, who talked about the potential of artificial intelligence to help or hinder human progress; University of Montreal Daniel Jutras who elaborated on the implications of these new stakes on younger generations; and Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay, who described the concrete steps required to pivot the industrial materials, chemicals and solutions company towards a more sustainable business model.

“Many other speakers from the corporate and startup world provided valuable thoughts” adds Oliveau “and speakers from outside the business world also brought fascinating perspectives”. Valerie Masson Delmotte, a senior scientist at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “very clearly set the stakes” of climate impacts, while Pierre Vandier, head of the French Navy, provided a “crisp and insightful view” on the new geopolitical implications.

Mark Schneider (MBA 1993), CEO of Nestle, concluded the day with inspiring remarks on implementing sustainability in a Fortune 500 corporation. The entire event was brilliantly moderated by Ali Aslan, world-class international journalist.

Vincent Dessain (MBA 1987), the head of the HBS Europe Research Center, provided organizing support for the summit, and corporate sponsors Kering, CDPQ, Neoen, Edenred, Tikehau, and Apax participated in panel discussions to share how they address sustainability issues in their business operations.

Oliveau says the conference emphasized the need to accelerate [progress] on sustainability issues and highlighted opportunities for companies to create value, either by lower costs, additional sales, or improved strategic value. What was the takeaway? “Top leadership needs to fully embrace this effort, set clear objectives, and engage their entire organization,” he says. “Measuring the company’s impact, setting targets, and putting a price on them help determine priorities and gauge progress. Governments have their parts to do as well, including with regulatory and fiscal schemes.”

Alumni from 17 countries attended the summit, representing Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US. “Many of them were 20 years or more past graduation, from the Class of 1967 to the present, and mostly MBAs and some Executive Education alumni,” says Oliveau.

The location of the summit provided a central point from which guests could participate in networking and social events, share meals together, and enjoy guided tours. “This summit was held in a unique venue: the 3 Mazarium, a brand-new auditorium within a magnificent historical setting, Institut de France, in the very heart of Paris, facing the Seine and the Louvre palace,” says Oliveau. Created in 1795, the Institut de France is a major public institution supporting the advancement of the arts, humanities, and sciences.

Attendees were welcomed with a rooftop cocktail party on the Champs Elysées Avenue, enjoyed guided walking tours around the city, attended a rooftop gala dinner in front of the Eiffel Tower, and had an opportunity to take a morning run along the Seine.

Oliveau says feedback from attendees has been very positive and he credits a dedicated team of fellow alumni, who worked for a year to make the summit such a success. In addition to Oliveau, the summit was co-produced by: Philippe Bertreau (MBA 2010), Danielle Feunteun (MBA 1976), Joanna Hislop (MBA 1999), Margaret Milan (MBA 1979), Guillaume Princen (MBA 2010), Benoît Raillard (MBA 1992), Hélène Reltgen (MBA 1995), Leslie Serrero (MBA 2003), Eva Taub (MBA 1992), Caroline Vion (MBA 2010), and HBS Club of France staff Claire Delaunay and Delphine Dias.

“Alumni attendees felt so much joy from this very special HBS vibe that was created, combining high-quality content, intellectual challenge, and friendly interactions,” says Oliveau. “The gorgeous weather and the Paris autumn atmosphere helped make this event quite unforgettable for everyone.”

The Paris summit was the first since 2017, when the HBS Association of Germany organized and hosted the first HBS European Alumni Summit in Berlin. “HBS used to host the Global Leadership Conference that took place every two to four years,” says Sami Busch (MBA 2004), president of the HBSA of Germany. “It was in a business conference setting with ample networking opportunities. For the European alumni, it was a great way to reconnect with HBS, with presentations by global business leaders and faculty, beyond the Reunion setting.”

Busch and fellow club members Kaspar Hartmann (MBA 2010), Jan Wilmking (MBA 2010), Max von Wallenberg (MBA 2012) and Cornelius Frey (MBA 2012) decided to recreate that conference as the European Alumni Summit, with hopes that it could be continued with cooperation between the European clubs. The HBS Club of Italy is looking to bring the next summit to Milan.

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