INSEAD Dean Francisco Veloso: “Looking ahead we see ourselves as an intellectual leader, leveraging the diversity of our community and global presence to lead in sustainable business and society”
The “Business School for the World” needed a “strategy refresh exercise” — and now it has one, with four ambitious pillars that reflect the worldview of an elite European higher education institution.
Nearing the end of his first year as dean of INSEAD, Francisco Veloso announced Monday (July 29) that as a result of a year-long engagement with the B-school’s far-flung community, INSEAD has developed a new “roadmap for the future” — a “strategy refresh” that ensures the B-school “remains a trailblazer in global business education.”
“Our mission is clear: to bring together people, cultures, and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society,” Veloso wrote in a post on LinkedIn.
THE 4 PILLARS
After spending a year “carefully listening” to INSEAD community members at events in INSEAD campuses in San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and Fontainebleau, France, and “identifying opportunities for positive impact,” Veloso announced the four pillars of the B-school’s new strategy, which are the result of “a collaborative approach amongst faculty, staff and the school’s leadership”:
- “Amplify Global Impact: Empower leaders and enable organizations to shape and execute a sustainable development agenda.”
- “Promote Resilient Growth: Invest in the future to strengthen our strategic autonomy.”
- “Drive One INSEAD: Promote an inclusive, engaged and empowered community.”
- “Transform the Learning Experience: Ensure the INSEAD experience delivers a seamless learning journey.”
“Looking ahead we see ourselves as an intellectual leader, leveraging the diversity of our community and global presence to lead in sustainable business and society.”
SUSTAINABILITY IN INSEAD’S DNA
It’s no surprise to find sustainability at the top of INSEAD’s new four-pillared strategy statement. Last fall, while on tour in San Francisco, Veloso spoke to Poets&Quants about his vision for the school newly under his charge, focusing on sustainability as a fulcrum in the school’s blueprint for the future. In January 2024, INSEAD completed an overhaul to its curriculum that embedded social and environmental issues and how they impact business decisions into every aspect of the program’s core — formally making sustainability a part of its DNA by ingraining its principles into all 14 core courses. It is also the focus of more than a dozen elective courses across nine academic areas.
“The incorporation across the 14 core courses is quite important,” Veloso told P&Q in December. “The other part that is important is the master strategy: If I look around and talk to business leaders, there is nowadays a very significant awareness of the importance of sustainability. I think people, especially business leaders, understand the context that they live in, and they understand that this is — or will be very soon — part of the equation in their businesses regardless of the area that they are in.”
What does INSEAD mean when it declares its intention to “Amplify Global Impact” and “Empower leaders and enable organizations to shape and execute a sustainable development agenda”? The report contains some more detail:
- “Deliver world-class research and teaching that drives impact, increasing focus on global societal issues.”
- “Engage and mobilize the INSEAD community to support our mission as active agents of societal transformation.”
- “Nurture and develop key local and global partnerships.”
A GUIDE TO THE B-SCHOOL’S ACTIONS
“These pillars represent INSEAD’s commitment to excellence, innovation and a sustainable world,” the report reads. “They guide our actions as we lead in responsible business and society.
“All initiatives underpinning INSEAD’s strategic goals have the clear aim that the school continues to lead on innovation and adaptability in the field of business education. Our educational portfolio thrives, offering cutting-edge programs that are global and fully embed sustainability.
“INSEAD aims to pioneer the seamless integration of physical and digital learning spaces. This integration will set the standard for future business education and guarantee that our students, executive participants, and corporate clients have access to the most dynamic and engaging learning experiences.”
DON’T MISS THE P&Q INTERVIEW: INSEAD DEAN FRANCISCO VELOSO and POETS&QUANTS’ MBA PROGRAM OF THE YEAR FOR 2023: INSEAD
