# École des Ponts Business School

École des Ponts Business School is the graduate business school of École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (part of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris, a public research university), which is one of the oldest and most prestigious French Grandes Écoles, founded by royal decree of King Louis XV in 1747.
École des Ponts Business School is an international business school and research institution based in Paris, France that offers a Global Executive MBA (EMBA), a Full-Time Masters in Business Administration (MBA), an Executive Doctorate in Business Administration and many specialized certificates and programs in Europe (Paris), Africa (Morocco) and Asia (China). École des Ponts Business School is also a leader in research and has centers such as the Circular Economy Research Center (CERC), CPC-Paris (Center for Policy and Competitiveness) and CASE:Africa (Center for Advanced Studies and Expertise). The research themes include: Circular Economy, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Talent Management and Digital Transformation & Change Management.

## History

Established as ENPC School of International Management in 1987 by Celia Russo in 1987 to promote the study of international business and value-based global leadership. It later changed its name to École des Ponts Business School.
Celia Russo, was selected in 1980 by Jacques Tanzi – the then recently appointed Director of Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées – to set up the Department of Languages and International Culture. Her appointment as a foreigner and as a woman, who was not an engineer, in a wholly French, male-dominated establishment caused an uproar among the school's Board of Governors. Seven years later, the Board ultimately decided unanimously to implement the business school Celia Russo designed and to support the degree that went with it and to appoint Celia to run it as the Dean. Celia Russo became the first Dean of École des Ponts Business School from 1987 until her death in 1999. She was also a recipient of the Vermeil Medal Society Encouragement au Progres in 1990, and was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite from the President of France in 1997 - this award is the second highest given by the French Republic to honor people of distinguished merit.
Michel Fender, a Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, succeeded Russo as Dean and worked in that position until 2001. Michel Fender and Tawfik Jelassi were assigned as co-Deans in 2001 until 2004 and in 2004, Tawfik Jelassi was named Dean. In 2014, Professor Alon Rozen was named Dean and is the current Dean and Professor of Innovation Management.

## Grande École System

École des Ponts is a Grande école, a French institution of higher education that is separate from, but parallel and connected to the main framework of the French public university system. Similar to the Ivy League in the United States, Oxbridge in the UK, and C9 League in China, Grandes Écoles are elite academic institutions that admit students through an extremely competitive process. Alums go on to occupy elite positions within government, administration, and corporate firms in France.
Although they are more expensive than public universities in France, Grandes Écoles typically have much smaller class sizes and student bodies, and many of their programs are taught in English. International internships, study abroad opportunities, and close ties with government and the corporate world are a hallmark of the Grandes Écoles. Many of the top ranked business schools in Europe are members of the Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE), as is École des Ponts Business School, and out of the 250 business schools in France, only 39 are CGE members.
Degrees from École des Ponts are accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Écoles and awarded by the Ministry of National Education (France) (French: Le Ministère de L'éducation Nationale). École des Ponts is further accredited by the elite international business school accrediting organizations and it holds double accreditation: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and Association of MBAs (AMBA)

## Rankings

École des Ponts Business School was ranked 30th of European Business schools in 2004 by the Financial Times. In 2005, due to changes in the Financial Times ranking criteria the school's "Visiting Faculty Model" that is a defining featured of École des Ponts Business School's teaching model, excluded it from the ranking.
In 2010, École des Ponts Business School's joint degree with SIMBA was ranked 39th in The Financial Times' Top 100 EMBA Rankings.
In the 2010 Full-Time MBA Ranking published by The Economist, the school's program was ranked 20th among Continental European MBAs and was the only Paris-based MBA listed in the ranking.
In 2011, the SMBG Eduniversal ranking listed École des Ponts Business School as an Excellent Business School.
Since 2015, CEO Magazine has ranked École des Ponts Business School's Full-Time MBA program as #1 in the world and in the 1st Tier of schools internationally.
In 2017, École des Ponts Business School's Global Executive MBA program was ranked #2 worldwide and ranked #20 by QS.
In 2023, CEO Magazine ranked both GEMBA programs as #1 in the world and in the 1st Tier of schools internationally.

## Programs

École des Ponts Business School offers internationally accredited programs.

### LeadTech Global Executive MBA

The LeadTech Global Executive MBA Program stands out as a unique Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) with a strong emphasis on Innovation Management, Leadership Development, and Technology Awareness. Jointly offered by École des Ponts Business School in Paris and EADA Business School, in Barcelona, this program awards dual MBA degrees from each prestigious institution.
Distinguished by its commitment to a comprehensive business curriculum, the LeadTech program goes beyond the ordinary. It introduces specialized courses focusing on sustainability, human-centric leadership, AI, and emerging futures. What sets this program apart is its blended delivery model, combining online courses with seven one-week-long residencies. These residencies are strategically spread across Paris and Barcelona, with a study trip to either Silicon Valley or Singapore, or both. This program attracts diverse participants with varied nationalities and career paths.

### Doctoral programs

The Executive DBA (E-DBA) is a professional doctoral degree (also referred to as a ‘terminal degree’) for experienced executives who wish to pursue a degree beyond the MBA, Executive MBA, or other advanced professional degree (master's level minimum). A program built for practitioners and working professionals, the École des Ponts Business School E-DBA is oriented towards grounding emerging practice in theory. Year 1 includes four residential sessions. This is the learning phase of the program and doctoral students learn foundational research methods. Years 2 to 4: Participants move into the research and writing phase. During this period, participants apply the skills acquired in Phase One of the program, conducting their research and collaborating with their supervisor(s) to write their papers. Taught in English, on the campus in central Paris.

### Global Executive MBA Casablanca

Global Executive MBA is a project-based program, offering real-life business challenges that align with career objectives. The three 6-month projects include Personal Leadership Development, Strategic Development, and Innovation Development. Each course is designed to enhance business and management skills. the program combines case studies, problem-based learning, and online resources. The program's three terms focus on Leading People and teams, Leading Business Performance, and Leading Innovation and agility. Taught in English with a modular format on weekends (Friday to Sunday), the program is offered in Casablanca.

## Deans

* Celia Russo (1987–1999)
* Michel Fender (1999–2004)
* Tawfik Jelassi (2004–2013)
* Alon Rozen (2014–present)

## Affiliated alumni associations

* PONTS Alliance
* Alumni Association of École des Ponts Business School