ESCP appoints Thomas Jeanjean as New Executive President

ESCP Business School has appointed Professor Thomas Jeanjean as Executive President and Dean, succeeding Professor Léon Laulusa.

He will lead the school's next phase of development as ESCP expands its focus on technology and governance.

Jeanjean is due to take over following an international search led by the board. The choice is intended to sustain momentum from recent years and guide the institution through a changing higher education market.

Founded in 1819, ESCP describes itself as the world's oldest business school. It has campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw, and welcomes more than 11,000 students and more than 6,000 managers from 140 nationalities each year.

Jeanjean will continue work under the school's Bold & United strategic roadmap. His remit includes strengthening research, launching a School of Technology and a School of Governance, and extending the reach of ESCP's multicampus model.

His appointment comes as business schools face pressure to respond to rapid technological change, geopolitical instability, environmental challenges and intensifying international competition for students, staff and reputation.

Leadership record

Since 2021, Jeanjean has served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Education at the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In that role, he has overseen education strategy across a portfolio of 14 schools spanning management, engineering, design, culinary arts and technology.

Previously, he held senior posts at ESSEC Business School, including Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Dean of Post-Experience Programmes and Executive Education. During his time there, he led strategic, organisational and international transformation projects.

His academic background includes graduating from École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, holding the agrégation in Economics and Management, and earning a PhD from Université Paris Dauphine. He began his academic career as Professor of Accounting at HEC Paris before moving to ESSEC.

The appointment gives ESCP a leader with experience in academic management, executive education and multi-school oversight at a time when European business schools are reassessing how to compete with large international universities and specialist technology-led providers.

Board backing

Philippe Houzé, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ESCP Business School, outlined the board's expectations for the new leader and the role he will play in the school's broader plans.

"By appointing Thomas Jeanjean, the Board of Directors has entrusted the future of ESCP to a leader who combines strategic vision, a collaborative mindset and a proven ability to deliver. I am convinced that he will build on the momentum achieved by the School and lead the next stage of its development with a clear ambition: to establish ESCP as Europe's leading university, recognised worldwide for the excellence of its research, the innovation of its teaching, the strength of its multicampus model and its ability to educate responsible leaders equipped to address the challenges of our time. The launch of the School of Technology, followed by the School of Governance, will mark a major milestone in this journey, enabling ESCP to continue anticipating the profound transformations shaping our world and preparing the leaders of tomorrow," Houzé said.

The reference to new schools in technology and governance points to a wider shift among management institutions as they broaden course portfolios beyond traditional finance, strategy and marketing. Many are seeking to connect management teaching more closely with public policy, regulation, digital tools and the practical demands placed on business leaders.

For ESCP, the multicampus structure remains central to that positioning. The school has long presented its cross-border European model as a differentiator, and the incoming Dean is expected to reinforce that identity while extending international reach.

Incoming Dean

Jeanjean said he saw the role as a chance to build on the school's long history while keeping a close focus on the student experience.

"I am deeply honoured by the trust the Board of Directors has placed in me. Joining ESCP is an immense privilege. With more than two centuries of history, the School has built a truly distinctive model, combining academic excellence, international openness and a deeply European identity. I am committed to building on the momentum achieved in recent years, guided by one simple conviction: the greatest ambitions only truly matter when they are translated into concrete achievements. Together with our faculty, professional staff, students, alumni and partners, I will devote all my energy to advancing this shared ambition, with one constant priority: providing our students with the very best environment in which to learn, innovate and prepare to make a lasting impact in a rapidly changing world," Jeanjean said.