Collaborating with industry professionals to develop responsible leaders

As part of the Introduction to Management course, GSEM Professor Thomas Straub invites guest speakers from the business community to share their professional experience and knowledge and provide the students with concrete examples of the real-world applications of the theory they learn.

During the 2022 Fall semester, Professor Straub welcomed Grégory Petit, Group CFO, Pictet Group, to discuss the finance section of the course. CEO and Founder of Smood, Marc Aeschlimann delivered a presentation on business strategy and entrepreneurship. Ruben Naval, Head of Global Supply Chain at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spoke about production and logistics and how this function works within the ICRC, and Quentin Gouedard, Head of Digital Strategy & Innovation at Givaudan, shared his expertise in the field of organization and information systems.

The course forms part of the GSEM’s Bachelor in Economics and Management program, and students are required to apply their learnings in a team project leading to the design and execution of a business plan for a sustainable development project of their choice. At the end of the semester, two groups of students had the opportunity to present their business plans in front of a jury of experts. The two projects were C'toutdit; an association led by young people for young people to renew democratic dialogue, and WakeUp!; a café based on the experience of a digital detox.

This collaboration between the Geneva School of Economics and Management and the public and private sectors reinforces the “Geneva Advantage”, which matches the strengths of the School with the unique opportunities that Geneva offers, and reinforces the GSEM’s mission to create and disseminate evidence-based knowledge that makes a difference in the way organizations are sustainably led.