3.7.2025
In a professional world reshaped by artificial intelligence, ESSEC Business School supports companies and institutions in navigating their transformation. Through its customized executive education programs, ESSEC trains leaders to understand, anticipate, and leverage AI-related challenges with a strategic, ethical, and pragmatic approach.
“We are seeing strong demand from companies seeking to better understand AI-related challenges, especially among leadership teams who may not come from technical backgrounds,” explains Sammy Bahda Delattre, Corporate Programs Designer at ESSEC.
“My role involves working upstream to design training programs with our partners. It’s often about demystifying AI, understanding how it can support business objectives, anticipating functional evolutions, and improving organizational efficiency.”
To meet these transformation challenges, ESSEC designs tailor-made programs that either include dedicated AI modules or weave the topic into more traditional subjects such as finance, strategy, or talent management. Artificial intelligence is no longer treated as a standalone topic but as a new lens through which all business activities are viewed.
A notable shift is underway: a growing number of executives, even those considered tech-savvy, now openly acknowledge the need for support to keep pace with a fast-evolving technology that is fundamentally reshaping the way we work. In this context, a bottom-up approach, starting from employees’ real-world use cases and feeding into a broader strategic vision, may offer an initial response to the growing anxiety around falling behind.
At the heart of this initiative is Metalab Institute for AI, Data and Society, a transdisciplinary think tank led by Professor Guillaume Chevillon.“It’s not enough to know how to use a tool. Leaders must adapt and adopt AI thoughtfully. This requires understanding its impact on leadership, business models, management practices, and ethics,” he emphasizes.
ESSEC draws on its strong academic network and develops numerous applied research partnerships with companies such as Accenture, BNP Paribas, and Onepoint to co-create relevant content. In this way, the school acts as a trusted intermediary between research, technology, and the business world.
As an example, ESSEC partnered with the Digital Government Authority of Saudi Arabia to design a five-day workshop titled “New Trends and Opportunities in AI.” The goal was to enable managers and leaders across various Saudi ministries to grasp the latest technological developments, identify opportunities for AI applications in their sectors, and design transformation projects rooted in real-world challenges.
“It’s about acquiring a broad perspective, experimenting with tools, and learning how to manage their use within a governance framework,” explains Fatima Baigar, International Key Account Manager responsible for implementing the program.
According to Guillaume Chevillon, this evolution is part of a broader continuum:
“In the past, mastering Excel was essential. Then it was the internet. Today, it’s AI. ESSEC is well positioned to support this transformation because we know how to build bridges between disciplines, between cultures, and between research and business.”
Through its short formats, international masterclasses, and ability to create tailor-made programs, ESSEC contributes to the emergence of a new generation of leaders capable of navigating a complex world with agility and harnessing AI as a sustainable value driver.
