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L'Executive Master in Management (EMM) de Solvay incarne la méthode des cas - une méthode innovante d'apprentissage à la première personne, partant d'un principe clé : c'est dans la pratique que se construit l'étoffe d'un manager. Le programme est donc conçu de manière à vous placer au cœur de l'apprentissage. Nous nous entretenons aujourd'hui avec Alexandre Papanastassiou, responsable du cours de transformation digitale du programme, qui nous explique les principes fondamentaux de l'EMM - et pourquoi la Solvay...

Solvay’s Executive Master in Management embodies the case method - an innovative first-person learning method, starting from a key principle: it is in the practice that the makings of a manager are built. The programme is therefore created in a way which places you at the heart of learning. Today we speak with Alexandre Papanastassiou, the programme’s Digital Transformation Course Leader, who explains to us the fundamentals of EMM – and why Solvay Brussels School is the best place for it.

Could you...

Whether you want to manage changes within your organisation, learn people management, realise your potential as a leader, or lead your team to their full potential, the Solvay Leadership programmes offer a variety of training paths to match your aspirations.

The fast-paced working environment of today’s businesses and organisations, in concert with the rapid structural and technical changes observed in last two years due to the pandemic and other socio-economic factors, have made evident the need for agile,...

"Learn to evolve in parallel with your field, understand the big picture and get ready to shape the future!". Anke Sieg, Alumna since 2015 and now Global Early Commercial Strategy Director at UCB, shared her experience of the Executive MBA programme with us :

How did your MBA shape who you are ?

I realised my personal limits and how to define my bottom-line. With every step I am taking in my personal development, I am now able to push this even further. In today’s VUCA world, it is key to know your own...

Solvay Executive Education’s Accelerated Management Programme has for many years now fast-tracked professionals from various backgrounds through the fundamentals of management, and it continues to do so with excellent and proven results. In times of transformative change, we make sure that our programmes acutely reflect the needs of the market by continuously fine-tuning and evolving them accordingly.

Today, we talk with Programme Manager Benoît Masset who gives us the latest from the Accelerated Management...

"Go for it! And the earlier you do it, the better!"  Dietrich Moens, Alumnus since 2019 and now CEO & Co-Founder at Spacehuntr shared his experience with the Executive MBA programme :

Why did you enrol in an Executive MBA?

"I realized I wanted to get out of finance and reorient my career into entrepreneurship. I became more and more aware of the fact that I lacked a whole set of key skills, such as marketing, project management, strategy to name but a few, to transform my idea into a successful achievement....

"Before the MBA, I had a much more narrow perception of my abilities and myself. This has totally changed." Izabel Medeiros, Executive MBA alumna since 2012 and now Strategic Programme Manager at Volvo Financial Services shared her experience with the programme :

What did the MBA do for you?

"It gave me the confidence to face any business challenge because I have a library of knowledge and a toolkit of skills to rely upon. Before the MBA, I had a much more narrow perception of my abilities and myself. This...

Solvay Executive MBA excels at providing a holistic view of today’s business challenges and equipping us with practical solutions for addressing real-world issues.

How did you feel that it was the right moment to join an Executive MBA?

"After almost 17 years in the banking and the financial sector, I felt my career was no longer moving forward and the day-to-day was beginning to get monotonous. This was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I decided to take action, challenge the status quo and invest more time...

Solvay Brussels School is proud and excited about our partnership with Perlego, one of the world's largest online subscription services for educational books, online textbooks, and additional reading materials.

Aiming to make educational material universally accessible and affordable, Perlego is an online library that gives students - and learners of any kind - unlimited access to over 600,000 professional and academic titles in all traditional areas of education including economics, art, psychology, medicine,...

The labour market as well as the business environment have seen major transformations. How can one stay atop of these challenges, and be sure to excel in such uncertain times? Arnaud Devleeschauwer, Academic Director of the Advanced Master in Innovation & Strategic Management, and alumni tell us from their experience.

In recent years, it has become more and more evident that rapid socio-economic, environmental, and technological changes have amounted to a complete transformation of the labour market. While the...

Are you looking to start an Executive MBA (EMBA)? Then, you must have already asked yourself, how do I fund this lifelong learning programme?

An MBA is an investment in yourself. In this article, you will find our tips and tricks to help you find some ways to reduce the cost of your tuition fee. 

Your employer can invest in you

One way to fund your EMBA is through the support of your employer. Around 60% of our participants get the financial back-up of their employer each year - most companies contribute...

Pourquoi j’ai choisi Solvay Brussels School ?

Je suis de formation ingénieur et dans le cadre de mes fonctions comme responsable du service R & D, il est indispensable de disposer, en plus des compétences techniques de mon domaine d’expertise, l’environnement et l’économie circulaire, de compétences en leadership, finance, stratégie ou marketing. Dans le monde actuel, pour bien mener une équipe, obtenir des résultats, avancer, convaincre les autres personnes de l’intérêt d’un projet, il faut des compétences...

Pourquoi j’ai choisi l'Executive Master in Management de Solvay Brussels School ?

Je venais d’être nommé en juin 2018 directeur des rédactions des Editions de l’Avenir (EDA), le premier quotidien régional wallon. Après avoir pris mes fonctions, la direction, à laquelle j'appartiens, a été obligée de lancer un plan de restructuration au regard des performances de l'entreprise et des défis à relever — digitalisation, accompagnement des équipes, réorganisation de la rédaction, etc.. J'étais donc à la recherche...

Pourquoi j'ai choisi l'Executive Master in Management de Solvay Brussels School ?

- pour sa renommée,

- pour sa méthode d’apprentissage qui nous permet de développer notre savoir, savoir-faire et savoir-être, le tout en étant confrontée à des données réelles et situations quasi identiques au monde de l’entreprise ; quasi car cette formation permet d’aller explorer au-delà de sa zone de confort, au fond de soi, à travers et avec les autres le tout avec un inédit 'filet de sécurité',

- pour l'expertise et la...

 The past year has been a challenge for all of us. As social life came to a halt due to the Covid-19 health crisis, so would our lives, it seemed. However, that is far from the truth: aspirations, dreams, and plans for personal development do not have to waver in the face of the circumstances, and here at Solvay Brussels School we have been seeing this first-hand in the progress of our students.

Today, we would like to put Sofia Silva, one of our recent Advanced Master graduates, into the spotlight for her...

Today, the challenge for decision-makers of all sectors is to implement the transition to a low-carbon, resilient and truly sustainable economy within a short time-frame - which requires fluent literacy in sustainable finance. This Master Class aims to attract the most influential leaders of today and deliver a distinctive experience which equips participants with both the knowledge and networks to integrate sustainable finance in their daily decisions.

A unique Master Class for today's leaders

The course was...

La pandémie de covid-19 a entraîné de nombreux bouleversements dans le quotidien des entreprises et de leurs managers. Mais le rôle de ceux-ci et les compétences nécessaires pour l’exercer ont-ils pour autant changé ?

La crise sanitaire et économique que nous vivons encore est particulière à plus d’un titre. Son impact sur nos économies sera sans doute plus important encore que celui du krach de 1929, ou de l’épidémie de grippe espagnole qui l’a précédé. Certains secteurs ont pu résister, voire tirer leur...

While leading during the COVID-19 pandemic definitely had its share of challenges, leaders will find themselves facing all new challenges as they move into a post-pandemic period.

“For many leaders, the pandemic was trial by fire for learning to manage remotely,” says Valérie Vangeel, Leadership Practice Leader at Solvay Business School – Executive Education. “Whereas the pandemic era was very much manager focused, the post-pandemic era calls for inspirational and authentic leadership.”

But this is where...

“By definition, you cannot know everything in uncertain environments – the days of Renaissance man or woman are long gone. Management teams need to find individuals with different thinking paradigms who will challenge their assumptions and habitual thought patterns. The stuff of leadership is to recognise, ascribe, value and integrate these new ideas in such a way that people in the workplace act on them. In a sense, it is a process of developing a narrative about the future, having a viable story that...

Although everyone has their own personal reasons for enrolling in an Advanced Masters Programme at Solvay Brussels School, all participants agree: it’s a transformational experience.

Over the course of the one-year Advanced Masters Programme, you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the leading minds in academia, get hands-on experience working with a range of business leaders, and interact with students who come from all over the world.

As a result, by the end of your programme, you can...

G. K. Noon was one of Britain’s most successful Asia-born entrepreneurs. Arriving in the United Kingdom in 1964 with comparatively little, he pioneered authentic chilled microwavable Indian food distributed through major British supermarket chains such as Sainsbury and Waitrose. In doing so, he changed British eating habits. By adapting Italian food preparation technology used for charcuterie, he was able to mass produce the Indian delicacy chicken tikka, making it more popular in Britain than fish and chips....

Deciding to go to business school is a big, often life-changing, decision – one that probably involves a myriad of factors. Perhaps one of the biggest questions is whether or not you should have professional experience before starting your studies. Although not a prerequisite for enrolment at Solvay Brussels School, there are advantages to both. 

“Having four years of professional experience definitely helped me connect the dots between the topics discussed in class and my job,” says Marine Hotchamps, an...

Photo: Programme Finance pour Non Financiers | Solvay Executive Education

Cliquez ici pour lire cet article en anglais.

Connaissez-vous la différence entre comptabilité et finance ? Ou bien votre réaction est-elle plutôt du type "attendez, il y a une différence" ? Des mots comme "revenus", "bénéfices", "flux de trésorerie" et "marge" vous poussent-ils à chercher la sortie la plus proche ?

À moins que l'intitulé de votre poste ne comporte le mot "financier", il y a de fortes chances que nous parlions de...

Picture: Programme Finance For Non-Financials | Solvay Executive Education

Click here to read this blog post in French.

Do you know the difference between accounting and finance? Or is your reaction more along the lines of, ‘wait, there’s a difference?’ Do words like revenue, profits, cashflow, and margin cause you to look for the nearest exit?

Unless your job title has the word ‘financial’ somewhere in it, chances are, we’re talking about you. 

The idea that all-things financial are best left to the...

Sustainability is the future, and today’s students must be equipped to build this future. That’s why Solvay Brussels School is integrating sustainability into all of its programmes.

“Our goal is to ensure that every student graduates with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to successfully manage the transition towards more sustainable business practices,” says Bernard Mathieu, Executive Director of Solvay Brussels School’s Sustainable Development Initiative.

According to Mathieu,...

Wishing to discover what digitalisation can bring to business models, work environments and innovation processes? Our top-notch team of trainers are there to help you boost your skills in Digital Transformation.

From 20 May to 18 June 2021. Solvay Brussels School is organising a series of 5 masterclasses, of 2 days each, on five key topics for implementing digital transformation in your company: Digital Business Models, Strategy, Data Analytics, Digital Governance and Go to Market.

Learn more about each of...

Wishing to discover what digitalisation can bring to business models, work environments and innovation processes? Our top-notch team of trainers are there to help you boost your skills in Digital Transformation.

From 20 May to 18 June 2021. Solvay Brussels School is organising a series of 5 masterclasses, of 2 days each, on five key topics for implementing digital transformation in your company: Digital Business Models, Strategy, Data Analytics, Digital Governance and Go to Market.

Learn more about each of...

Picture: Leadership Summer Camp (2019) | Solvay Executive Education

“Without order nothing can exist. Without chaos nothing can evolve.” — Oscar Wilde

In today’s digital world, yesterday’s strategies simply won’t cut it. That’s why I’m always surprised when a business leader approaches me about helping them reinvent their organisation but expect me to do so using out-of-date techniques. 

But I guess I can’t really blame them. After all, this is exactly the approach I used to take towards reinventing my...

Picture: Leadership Summer Camp (2019) | Solvay Executive Education

I’ve worked in coaching and recruitment for years, surrounded by senior executives with impressive track records. These are driven, disciplined people who have studied hard, achieved their goals, and are now working for prestigious companies. But they don’t stop there. They keep pushing themselves to work on their personal development so they can meet the expectations of their employers and their peers.

Because that’s what high-functioning...

Picture: Leadership Summer Camp (2019) | Solvay Executive Education

Spending most of my days listening to leaders and teams tell me about their biggest challenges and reflecting on how to solve them, I’ve come to realise two things:

1. Clarifying and making use of the motivational dynamics at play is very often a powerful way to solve many of these challenges. 
2. This isn’t something that comes naturally to people, even to very experienced and emotionally savvy leaders. Having the right tools and a framework to...

30 years ago, Solvay Brussels School launched its MBA programme – the precursor to today’s Executive MBA (EMBA). To learn how the programme has evolved over the past three decades, we sit down with EMBA Academic Director Bruno Van Pottelsberghe.

This is a big year for the Executive MBA programme. How does Solvay Brussels School plan to celebrate?

Well, normally we would have celebrated our 30th anniversary in October 2020 with the arrival of the 30th class. However, as these are anything but normal times, we...

Solvay Brussels School's new Executive MBA UN SDG scholarships recognise applicants working to create a more sustainable world. 

From poverty to inequality, climate change to environmental degradation – the world faces a myriad of challenges that demand sustainable solutions. And while the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the blueprint for achieving sustainable change, that blueprint is nothing more than an idea if there’s nobody ready to lead the change.

Considering that our...

What is an admission interview?

The admission interview is the second step of the admission process to Solvay Brussels School’s Advanced Masters.

All applicants who have successfully completed the first step of the selection process (online application form) and whose profile matches the selection criteria, are invited for an interview with the admission jury. Usually the jury includes the academic director of the programme and the admission manager.

Admission interviews take place online via Hangout or Zoom...

With many of us stuck at home during those uncertain times and grey weather outside the window, there is no better time for self-development and refreshing your winter reading list.

We asked Jean-Pierre Aerts, renowned Programme Director at Solvay Brussels School with over 30 years of experience as a manager, consultant, coach and trainer to share his personal favourite reads on self-development and leadership.

If you're always looking to learn, grow and strive to improve yourself, we bring you Jean-Pierre...

Il m’est difficile d’expliquer à quel point j’étais « affamé intellectuellement » avant d'accueillir le défi mental que représente le programme Finance Pour Non-Financiers de Solvay Executive Education.

Non seulement j'en suis venu à saisir les principes de base de la finance, mais ce cours a généré en moi une nouvelle soif de connaissances dans le domaine de la gestion financière.

Les professeurs du programme viennent d'horizons divers, avec des intérêts et des expériences différents à la fois...

If you're in your final year of a Master's degree and you're wondering what you'll do next year after the long awaited and sweaty degree, considering an Advanced Master at Solvay Brussels School before you immerse yourself in the world of work might be a great idea!

What is an Advanced Master?  

An Advanced Master's degree is a lesser-known qualification than a Master's degree, but just as valid and recognized, which is halfway between a Master's degree and an MBA.

It is an official and accredited...

The glowing green button on the otherwise gray background of the University canvas reads "Successfully submitted!".

The last paper of the last class is shipped—graduation is expected in November, but the MBA is over.

Last night, while putting the kids to bed I had the feeling that I should be hurrying up as I had to put my mind to that group presentation…but then wait a minute—I actually already handed that in! Right, MBA is over.

After dinner a few days ago, I glanced at the reminders on the phone and saw...

At Solvay Brussels School, we know that our Advanced Masters will take your career and personal life to the next level.

"How exactly?", you might wonder!

To answer this vast question, we have asked our alumni to share their experience with you. What are they doing now? How did the Master help them achieve their career and personal goals? What did they enjoy the most during their year at Solvay Brussels School?...

Today, Anthony Rus, Alumnus of the Advanced Master in Innovation and Strategic Management,...

At Solvay Brussels School, we know that our Advanced Masters will take your career and personal life to the next level.

"How exactly?", you might wonder!

To answer this vast question, we have asked our alumni to share their experience with you. What are they doing now? How did the Master help them achieve their career and personal goals? What did they enjoy the most during their year at Solvay Brussels School?...

Today, Sheeshum Galle, Alumna of the Advanced Master in Financial Markets, now Investment...

At Solvay Brussels School, we know that our Advanced Masters will take your career and personal life to the next level.

"How exactly?", you might wonder!

To answer this vast question, we have asked our alumni to share their experience with you. What are they doing now? How did the Master help them achieve their career and personal goals? What did they enjoy the most during their year at Solvay Brussels School?...

Today, Raphaël Mathieu, Alumnus of the Advanced Master in Innovation and Strategic Management,...

Deciding to pursue an Advanced Masters at Solvay Brussels School is a big decision. Luckily, there’s plenty of information available about the programme, what classes you need to take, who the teachers are, etc.

But what about those questions that keep you up at night? You know, the questions that you feel might be a bit too “silly” to ask: What will my classmates be like? What’s there to do in Brussels? Will I like the programme?

Guess what? Everybody has the same questions! But as nobody seems to be asking...

Deciding to pursue an Advanced Masters at Solvay Brussels School is a big decision. Luckily, there’s plenty of information available about the programme, what classes you need to take, who the teachers are, etc.

But what about those questions that keep you up at night? You know, the questions that you feel might be a bit too “silly” to ask: What will my classmates be like? What’s there to do in Brussels? Will I like the programme?

Guess what? Everybody has the same questions! But as nobody seems to be asking...

On June 10th, Solvay Executive Education hosted a webinar on the rise of the Project Economy and the End of Job Descriptions, as the final instalment of our 10-part “Leading in Times of Uncertainty” series. If you couldn’t join us, you can watch all these information and experience-packed webinars here. 

The business world is currently undergoing a major transformation, one that will see traditional hierarchical oriented companies give way to an economy defined by projects. In fact, it’s predicted that by...

"Sans ordre, rien ne peut exister. Sans chaos, rien ne peut évoluer." - Oscar Wilde

Dans le monde numérique d'aujourd'hui, les stratégies d'hier ne suffisent plus. C'est pourquoi je suis toujours surprise lorsqu'un chef d'entreprise me demande de l'aider à réinventer son organisation, mais qu'il s'attend à ce que je le fasse en utilisant des techniques dépassées.

Mais je suppose que je ne peux pas vraiment leur en vouloir. Après tout, c'est exactement l'approche que j'ai adoptée pour réinventer mon...

Deciding to pursue an Advanced Masters at Solvay Brussels School is a big decision. Luckily, there’s plenty of information available about the programme, what classes you need to take, who the teachers are, etc.

But what about those questions that keep you up at night? You know, the questions that you feel might be a bit too “silly” to ask: What will my classmates be like? What’s there to do in Brussels? Will I like the programme?

Guess what? Everybody has the same questions! But as nobody seems to be...

Deciding to pursue an Advanced Masters at Solvay Brussels School is a big decision. Luckily, there’s plenty of information available about the programme, what classes you need to take, who the teachers are, etc.

But what about those questions that keep you up at night? You know, the questions that you feel might be a bit too “silly” to ask: What will my classmates be like? What’s there to do in Brussels? Will I like the programme?

Guess what? Everybody has the same questions! But as nobody seems to be asking...

On April 22nd, Solvay Executive Education (SEE) hosted a webinar on managing risk and organisational resilience in times of crisis. The event was part of our Leading in Times of Uncertainty free webinar series, a regular feature every Wednesday at 5 pm. This webinar series reunites topics whose relevance we believe is tied not only to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts but more importantly continues beyond the immediate time horizon of the crisis. 

Risk management and organisational resilience are bound...

Deciding to pursue an Advanced Masters at Solvay Brussels School is a big decision. Luckily, there’s plenty of information available about the programme, what classes you need to take, who the teachers are, etc.

But what about those questions that keep you up at night? You know, the questions that you feel might be a bit too “silly” to ask: What will my classmates be like? What’s there to do in Brussels? Will I like the programme?

Guess what? Everybody has the same questions! But as nobody seems to be asking...

La crise du Covid-19 a obligé près de trois milliards d’individus dans le monde à se confiner[1], a affecté plusieurs dizaines de millions de gens dans leur activités professionnelles et a contraint des centaines de milliers d’entreprises à fermer menaçant beaucoup d’entre elles de fermeture à terme[2].

Cette crise majeure – l’une des plus fortes depuis la Seconde Guerre mondiale – s’accompagne d’une autre crise d’autant plus dangereuse qu’elle est encore invisible, ou du moins l’urgence du moment la relègue...

Deciding to pursue an Advanced Masters at Solvay Brussels School is a big decision. Luckily, there's plenty of information available about the programme, what classes you need to take, who the teachers are, etc.

But what about those questions that keep you up at night? You know, the questions that you feel might be a bit too "silly" to ask: What will my classmates be like? What’s there to do in Brussels? Will I like the programme?

Guess what? Everybody has the same questions! But as nobody seems to be asking...

The days of staying in the same company your entire career and climbing the ‘corporate ladder’ to retirement are long gone. Today, changing jobs – or even careers – is the New Normal.

Martine George, professor of management practice at Solvay Brussels School and head of the Executive MBA's Career Advancement Programme, shares her thoughts on why an Executive MBA is the key to navigating this new normal. 

 Join the next Executive MBA online info session! 

Changing careers – with confidence

At Solvay Brussels...

In today’s increasingly competitive and complex world, new opportunities can present themselves when least expected. Because you never know when an opportunity will come up, the best advice is to always be prepared.

This means being proactive today and acquiring the fundamental tools and techniques of management now. That way when an opportunity does present itself, you’ll already be one step ahead of the competition and ready to lead starting from day one.  

To learn more about how the next generation of...

"Risk Management” used to be a remote and quantitative function, ideally entrusted to a highly skilled number-cruncher endowed with the unique ability to master every aspect of an organisation’s activities. History – and a series of financial and economic crises – have since proven this was not the best approach. What exactly is the role of the Risk Manager and what skills do they need?

For a long time, the role of the Risk Manager was somewhat confined to that of a specialist secluded in his tower and poring...

Distance learning for Data protection professionals and experts becomes an essential tool for complementing class education. The complexity and volume of knowledge and expertise that need to be acquired are continuously increasing.

On 25 May 2018, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, went into effect. Nearly two years later, major stakeholders are still confused about the extent of required compliance – a confusion that can often be costly.

The good news is that much of the...

Lorsque l’équipe dirigeante de Gillion Construct décide de se lancer dans une réflexion approfondie sur son positionnement stratégique, Xavier Radelet son CEO, s’inscrit au programme Dirigeant & Développement. Son objectif ? Acquérir de nouvelles compétences pour mieux accompagner son équipe.

En 2013, Gillion Construct, l’entreprise de construction générale au sein de laquelle Xavier Radelet a effectué toute sa carrière, connaît d’importantes difficultés. Persuadé qu’il est encore possible de renverser la...

Seven years ago, the Limburg section of VOKA - Flanders’ Chambers of Commerce and Industry, contacted us to talk about the best way to help entrepreneurs acquire new skills to grow their business. We sat together and devised a powerful tailor-made programme that made a real impact.

When you start designing a tailor-made business education programme, you know from the start that the only way it will ever grow and prosper is by fulfilling its objectives. This is why we are particularly pleased that the MBA...

Agrandir les équipes et les structurer autour d’un objectif commun est un des défis majeurs de la croissance d’une PME. Pour le relever avec succès, les leaders doivent avant tout faire preuve de clairvoyance et d’humilité.

Une entreprise en croissance doit la plupart du temps engager de nouveaux talents pour renforcer ses équipes. Mais derrière l’augmentation rapide de l’effectif se profile une difficulté à laquelle la PME n’est pas toujours préparée: sa propre structuration.

Formaliser l’informel

Passer...

Croissance et digitalisation sont deux questions que les dirigeants de PME ne peuvent éluder, et la manière de les approcher mérite réflexion. Nous avons interrogé deux spécialistes en entrepreneuriat et PME.

"La question de la croissance est beaucoup moins évidente et beaucoup plus complexe qu’il n’y paraît. Y répondre requiert une bonne méthode, une solide dose de réflexion, et surtout d’éviter les a priori", lance d’entrée de jeu Daniel Spindler, professeur en stratégie et en entrepreneuriat à la Solvay...

Summertime, and especially August, is usually a bit more laid-back in the corporate world. We thought it would be an ideal time for professionals to take a few days to hone their leadership skills and reflect on newly gained insights into leading themselves, their team and their organisation. So did our many participants.

After the successful first edition last year, we decided to add more focus to and increase the impact of the programme, so that participants could not only gain insights, but also work on...

In 2013, Solvay Brussels School was selected by TOTAL to deploy a worldwide leadership programme. Since then, no less than 35 sessions have taken place, and participants are thrilled. What is the secret behind that success? 

When a corporation looks for a university to conduct such a strategic programme, it looks for excellence at all levels.

TOTAL contacted 12 institutes to seek the best proposal to rejuvenate their ‘Total Management Programme – level 3’, or TMP3. Level 3 means the programme is intended for...

? Wisdom that Inspires Life

According to John Metselaar ↴↴↴

In my quest to better understand, appreciate, live and love life over my 30+ years career, I have devoured books seeking wisdom on a range of topics including (personal) leadership, culture, balance, change, business, innovation, history. One of my leaders referred to me as “scholar”! 
I then find myself applying helpful and inspiring insights and concepts, as well as referring to them in my classes, lectures, and speeches. I increasingly get asked...

In December 2018, we started the first session of the MediaMarkt University, a programme aimed at high-potential managers of the electronics retail specialist. Our objective: to give them the tools that will enable them to transform the way they do business, to apply their newly gained knowledge to actionable projects and act as role models inside the company. 

When MediaMarkt first contacted us about setting up a tailor-made programme for their high-potential managers, we found the challenge very stimulating...

“People in my organisation don’t want to transform. They’re afraid of the digital transformation or don’t see the benefit. How can I inspire them?” That is a question I get asked a lot.

Read the rest of the article here.

Learn more about the practical and intensive one-year postgraduate programs offered by the Solvay Brussels School.

You are finishing your studies, you have no (or little) professional experience? Are you looking to give your career a good start by building it on a solid foundation? Solvay Advanced Masters provide you with learnings based on tomorrow's practice and new skills. At the end of this one-year programs, you increase your chances to find not just any job, but an exciting job and build a brilliant...

A little more than a year ago, Pfizer came to us with a very specific demand. They wanted the Solvay Brussels School to develop a one-week training programme for their business unit leaders and their successors. Their aim? To provide them with the necessary skills to develop their business acumen and make them better leaders in a changing business environment. 

The Pfizer Brussels Headquarters and the Solvay Brussels School (SBS) are almost neighbours, and there is a longstanding relationship between us, as...

Lifelong learning is a must in an ever-changing world. Still, it can be difficult for busy professionals to dedicate time to learning outside of their daily activities. With this in mind, Solvay Brussels School is organising the second edition of its flexible Leadership Summer Camp - a series of “à la carte” workshops taking place during the Summer. Interview with Valérie Vangeel, Academic Director.

What does "being a leader" mean today?

Whereas integrity can be defined as "doing the right thing even when...

In Human Resources as in many other business activities, there is a deep disconnection between the academic and the business worlds. But even within a business, HR is too often disconnected from strategic thinking. Time to bridge the gaps?

Even today, HR finds itself too often restricted to or perceived as “the department that takes care of payroll and admin”, when it can be so much more, even when it is also tasked with organising talent development training schemes. To quote David Ducheyne, HR Practice...

In a fast-changing business environment, large companies are thought to be at a disadvantage when it comes to finding new disruptive ideas and bringing them to market. But are they? While they may move slower than start-ups, they have vastly superior financial and technological means. And they are increasingly willing to accept help and inspiration from the outside. The reactions to an inspirational speech I gave to managers of Generali, an insurance company, proved my point. 

Insurance is not the first...

Close your eyes and imagine. You have just been appointed to the Executive Board of an airline operating in Southeast Asia. You and other new board members are replacing the previous members, who have all just been fired. You have about an hour to digest financial and market information in order to make business decisions for the next six months…

That, in a nutshell, is how we start the business game we have been developing over the past decade as a learning tool in our executive education programmes at the...

Here is the testimonial of Robin Vervaeke, student in the Advanced Master in Financial Markets, on how he lived this experience :

"Right after the exams of...

Thanks to digitalisation, most companies have been sitting on a trove of data for quite a while. Their next challenge is to exploit these data to maintain or improve their competitive positions. To meet this challenge, their management teams must at the same time acquire enough mastery of the data analytics tools and develop a thorough understanding of their market and what lies beyond… or beside it. 

Business analytics presents an interesting challenge for management teams. On one hand, executives and...

Here is the testimonial of Bram Houben, student in the Advanced Master in Quantitative Finance, on how he lived this experience :

"In the third term of the...

Three times a year, Solvay Brussels School organises an “MBA-essentials” programme for Pfizer. During our last session, I gave an intensive one-day workshop on innovation leadership. Here are a few insights about the creation of an innovation mindset.

The fact that the first word of this “Leading and Living Innovation” seminar is about leadership is no coincidence. I believe all significant advances in life start with leadership. While innovation also starts with leadership, it doesn’t end there.

We’ve come...

The Advanced Master in Political Economy is a postgraduate course (1 year, full-time, 60 ECTS, in English) that Solvay Brussels School jointly offers with Georgetown University in Washington DC, for Master students with no or limited professional experience.

The programme provides students with the knowledge and the skills needed to evaluate and address global and local economic challenges. It gives them a solid understanding of the institutions and political settings in which they arise.

Within the framework...

Leveraging Big Data is one of the major challenges businesses are facing nowadays. To confront it and develop new competitive edges, corporations hire a host of data scientists, business analytics specialists and computing experts. But are they aware this strategy actually lacks one key element?

Business analytics is a fashionable topic in the corporate world nowadays. Companies are becoming aware that they are sitting on heaps of valuable data from their daily operations. These data contain precious insights...

I often get this question from leaders: “Can I change the organisation if my management team doesn’t change? I want to apply these new business techniques, but my management team still functions with the techniques of the past.”

This is a great question. Unfortunately, the answer is not black or white.

The level of consciousness of an organisation cannot surpass the level of consciousness of its leader. If you have a CEO (or management team) that still functions at a low level of consciousness (demand &...

Is diversity an asset for companies or an additional difficulty to manage? According to an analysis published in 2010 in the Journal of International Business Studies (summarizing 108 diversity studies conducted over 10.632 diverse teams) diversity can have as many positive as negative effects.

What this study also suggests is that a sound diversity management strategy is always associated with positive effects such as higher engagement from the employees, higher business productivity and better organisational...

For business students, both in Belgium and worldwide, the beginning of March has a special flavour: for two days, they compete in teams in a series of business cases evaluated by a jury of teachers and business professionals. Backstage, Solvay Brussels School students work for more than a year to make it happen.

It was an unusually busy Saturday evening at the Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel. Hundreds of business students from Belgium, Europe and even further afield were eagerly awaiting the moment when the...

This year’s C-Suite Challenge painted a clear picture of how corporations’ most senior executives see the future, and what priorities and interventions are required to succeed in it. We have been looking at the insights through an Innovation & Productivity lens to help Innovation leaders best influence the priorities and efforts ahead.  And there are plenty of opportunities for these leaders to take charge in today’s world – innovation clearly is center stage!

The criticality of living the future, today

CEOs,...

On Tuesday 26 of March, the Executive Education team was very excited to meet and greet a large number of participants in the Atrium of Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management.

It was a dynamic evening full of vivid interactions and a great exchange of ideas on different topics related to the most pressing business challenges of today and tomorrow! Together with our Academic Directors, the participants had the prime opportunity to discover an experiential approach to executive education and leadership...

It has often been bon ton to bash HR and criticise the lack of proof of its impact. And surely enough, it would be fair to admit that HR is partly to blame for this. But every time someone clamours that HR should be abolished they talk about a function. And very often that person has had a personal frustrating experience with an HR professional in the past. Talk about bias!

6 reasons why HR is not well seen

1. HRM is not a function; it is a process that deals with human issues within any given organisation....

Earlier this year, the Board of Manufast initiated a strategic thinking process aimed at enabling them to face the challenges brought about by changing market conditions. Solvay Brussels School (SBS) was asked to act as a facilitator.

Sheltered workshops like Brussels-based Manufast have been around for quite a while. For a long time, many of them operated on a business model that relied on profit-making activities to finance other activities that were making losses but provided meaningful employment...

A couple of years ago, life was slower.

The requests for your time and attention came from fewer communication channels and were less frequent. Our work was more delimited; we often knew when a project started and when it was finished. The need to collaborate was not as high because projects were simpler and the technology that allows us to be connected 24/7 was not yet mainstream. We had to bring physical files home if we wanted to work. People had to call us or come over if they wanted to reach us.

Those...

Another successful edition of the Lisboa Web Summit took place in 2018. Forbes calls it “the best tech conference on the planet.”

John Metselaar, Professor in “Leading Innovation" at the Solvay Brussels School was there for the second time to enjoy the "Learning Expedition" together with a group of Solvay's Executive MBA students, as one way to ensure they stay at the forefront of developments in the Innovation space.

It has been a fruitful journey that contributed to the cutting-edge competencies we bring to...

Digital technologies are reshaping the business world as we know it – and doing so quickly. Yet despite this trend, surprisingly few companies are appropriately responding to digital disruption. In fact, most use digitisation to only optimise and improve the business rather than leverage technologies for reinvention and disruptive purposes. 

That being said, there’s still a window for putting a bold digital strategy in place. But this window may not stay open long, so you must act now. 

Threatening the Bottom...

This month, the WHITE PAPER of the European Cyber Security Organisation came out, with a special focus on the Information and Cyber Security Professional Certification and Education.

We are happy to see our school proudly representing Belgium among other countries as a leading education and expert in Information Security and Cyber Security certifying top professionals in five domains of knowledge with three modules each. The major concept behind these modules relies on Digital Trust and Transformation founded...

A l’ère du numérique et de la digitalisation, les technologies et les comportements humains ne peuvent plus être perçus comme des éléments distincts. Plus que jamais, nous disposons d'une diversité d'outils digitaux qui nous permettent de transformer radicalement notre manière de faire les choses au quotidien : nos façons de consommer, travailler, se divertir, explorer sont complètement bouleversées. Notre société, nos cultures et nos organisations s’en retrouvent transformées.

Si auparavant nous associons...

Master the international association management techniques with Solvay Executive Education!

Following an Executive Master in International Association Management (EMIAM), you will have the opportunity to enhance your leadership skills required to face the daily management challenges, and to grasp the main fundamental strategic and functional areas in management. The programme also allows you to share the best practices across the association sector.

The HQ Magazine, our trusted partner, interviewed a couple...

You have heard of the Basel III regulation on banks introduced after the 2007 financial crisis. You may even have heard of the so-called Basel III finalisation (called by some Basel IV) package of rules that pitched European versus US banks' interests.

Check the short note on the subject by Tommy De Temmerman, who follows these issues at the European Commission, as Policy Officer, Bank Regulation and Supervision at DG FISMA and co-teaches with Mario Nava, the course of European Integration and Bank...

A civil engineer by training, Elke Robbrecht first began working in energy, a sector she finds it fascinating but following an MBA at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management, enabled her to take her career in a new direction - business and finance.

Learn everything about the tipping point in Elke's career in our new article.

Quelle est votre impression de l'EMM ?

Rien n’est laissé au hasard : comme le programme s’appuie essentiellement sur le travail en groupes et moins sur les cours ex cathedra on pourrait croire que les participants sont laissés à eux-mêmes, mais rien n’est moins vrai. Il y a une vraie logique derrière, façonnée sans aucun doute au cours des années, qui pousse les participants à sortir des sentiers battus.

Si vous deviez retenir 3 choses, quelles seraient-elles ?

La diversité et la richesse des matières...

Le business analytics est devenu si important tant pour la prise de décision que pour la découverte de nouvelles idées, que de nombreux dirigeants d’entreprises voudraient maintenant l’étendre à l’entreprise toute entière. De nombreuses organisations renforcent leurs ressources technologiques pour devenir plus analytiques et adaptent leurs politiques de recrutement afin d’attirer davantage de talents dans ce domaine.

Malgré ce désir grandissant d’adopter l’analytique par le biais de nouvelles technologies et...

In November and December 2017, the Company-Specific Programmes department of Solvay Executive Education and BESIX Group co-created and organised a series of dynamic workshops, part of the Unleash Design Bootcamp. 

This initiative reunited and encouraged professionals from across different departments in the group to interact, generate ideas and find creative solutions to real-life common challenges in their areas of concern. The Besix Bootcamp was the perfect opportunity for them to rise to challenges and...

Comment susciter les dynamiques collectives intra-team et inter-team ?

Regardez la vidéo d'Alain Goudsmet et découvrez la différence entre les notions de collaboration et de coopération au sein de l'entreprise. 

Now more than ever, the continuing education plays a crucial role in the development of our lifelong learning skills. It represents a perfect opportunity for all working professionals, managers of organizations and heads of departments to discover new key areas of management capable of propelling them even further in their career.

Read the article « 8 good reasons to take an Executive Education Management programme » to discover how a professional training can help you take your career to the next level!

Over the course of the past few years, we've been witnessing a growing interest in the impacts of digital on companies and on human societies in general. We see considerable attention on technology and tools presented as outside the realm of and independent from culture. There is also considerable focus on the idea of transformation and on the ways in which it can be achieved to help businesses and institutions remain relevant in what is often referred to as the digital era. However, the challenge facing...

"I recently attended the Web Summit in Lisbon - a 60.000-attendees, week-long, full immersion into "The New Digital"!

This extraordinary annual event proved to be an eye-opening experience so much that I decided to summarize my top-10 impressions in a blog:

1. The “tech world” is a parallel universe!

The average age of the 59,000+ participants must have been around 30 years old. At 56 I felt slightly out of place but got over it quickly! It soon became crystal clear to me that the current generation’s...

As any good HR manager, you have probably spent a long time assessing the needs of your management teams in order to identify the right skills and training objectives.

You evaluated timeless and promising proposals from several specialised institutions, business schools, and universities. But here is one question:

Do you have any certainty that the new skills your team learns will be applied from day one when they come back?

To answer this question, you will have to take a step back and look at the big...

Watch our video and find out how to protect your assets against cyber-attacks using 3 key steps!

To protect our businesses, we need to know very well our landscape and apply the best practices and strategies in our fight against hackers, cybercriminals and even nation states who might use our information to their own advantage:

1. Prevent: prepare in advance a defense model
2. Detect: identify what you could omit or not handle very well
3. Respond: act in case of the attack.

If you have an interest in such hot...

In his article, Laurent Bouty, the Academic Director of the Advanced Master in Creativity and Marketing at Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management, highlights the importance of revenues in your marketing strategy as they are highly influenced by the Total Experience you give to your customers/clients. The stronger your Total Experience is, the most revenues you can generate in the long run. 

Laurent Bouty, Academic Director of the Advanced Master in Creativity and Marketing at Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management, explores in his article the key concepts and dimensions of the new version of Marketing Canvas: MARKETING CANVAS 2.0. 

Alain Goudsmet, chargé de conférences à l'Executive Master in Management (EMM) et Directeur du Mentally Fit Institute introduit le concept de Dream Team pour une organisation. Il y définit également la différence entre le leadership et le membership.  

Pour plus d'informations, visionnez notre vidéo.

What is marketing ?

Surprisingly, few people know how to correctly answer this question. Most believe that marketing is communication, though communication is only a tiny fraction of it. By going back to the origin of the word, we understand that MARKETING is choosing a MARKET and doING what is needed to impact it.

MARKET-ING, therefore, involves a vast number of management disciplines in which you might get lost, unless you have a powerful methodology to coordinate everyone's efforts.

GROW: GOAL - REALITY...

Innovation stays at the base of growth in every organization.

It has never been more important to innovate in our volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. Making a company more innovative means working on four key pillars: Leadership, Strategy, Process & Culture.

In this video, John Metselaar, Professor of Management Practice in “Leading Innovation” and former Head of Innovation at Procter & Gamble Belgium, explains the main drivers and benefits of implementing innovation within an...

It is difficult for me to explain how ‘intellectually starved’ I was before cherishing the mental challenge this programme represents. Not only have I come to grasp the basic tenets of finance, but this Course has generated in me a new hunger for knowledge in the field of Financial Management.

The programme faculty come from diverse backgrounds, with different interests and experiences both professionally and academically. Its approach not only shows a tremendously high standard of professionalism but also,...

The new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes, in certain cases, the appointment of a Data Protection Officer (DPO). Public and private sector organizations are struggling with the need for them to create an additional responsibility or merge it with the existing Chief Information Security Officer function (CISO). When responding to interrogations, I regularly advise the inquirer to verify three basic criteria:

The first involves the availability of an overall CISO, driving Information...

Alain Goudsmet, conférencier à L'Executive Master in Management et Directeur du Mentally fit Institute, explique comment le manager peux améliorer ses performances au travail en retrouvant le sens de son travail. 

La méthode des cas telle qu’appliquée lors de l’EMM est surprenante. Partant d’une méthode connue, la déclinaison de cette dernière selon deux angles différents a été pour moi une véritable remise en question.

Le premier angle, la résolution du cas en travail personnel a créé avant tout l’obligation de remettre en question toutes sortes d’acquis.
Les cas balayent des sujets et contextes si variés qu’ils forcent à sortir de sa zone de confort, autant que de son domaine d’activité. Il faut alors tenter...