After 30 years at the head of SKEMA Business School, including several devoted to the
merger between its two original entities, President Bernard Lecomte has decided to end his
mandate. He used this opportunity to instigate a discussion on the school’s governance with
all members of the board and local institutions. The governance structure has thus been
tightened up to better serve the school’s development.
The new ten-member Board of Administration and General Assembly, set up at the end of
December 2016, includes figures incarnating the school’s traditional north/south localities
and distinguished graduates from high-profile international companies – a reflection of
SKEMA’s DNA (globalisation, entrepreneurship, the digital economy):
- Frédéric Allard CTO office Europe and site executive IBM; Jean-Pierre Savarino, CEO Studiel, and President of the French Riviera Chamber of Commerce representative of the PACA region founders
- Edouard Roquette, chairman of the Board of Directors, Roquette SA (SKEMA 1987) and Marc Verly, director general for Enterprise and Cities and director general of the regional institute for development of Hauts-de-France, representative of the Hautsde-France region founders
- Didier Bonnet, executive vice president & Global Practice leader, Capgemini consulting (SKEMA 1983)
- Jean-Philippe Courtois, EVP and president, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing & Operations, Microsoft (SKEMA 1983)
- Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, CEO, Ibanfirst (SKEMA 2001)
- Véronique Gautier, director Giorgio Armani Perfumes and Beauty, L’Oréal (SKEMA 1983)
- Géraldine Le Meur, founding partner, The Refiners (SKEMA 1995)
- Olivier Dufour, executive director, Page Personnel (Brussels) & president of SKEMA Alumni Association (SKEMA 2001)
It is appropriate that the successor to Bernard Lecomte should be Jean-Philippe Courtois,
EVP and president, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing & Operations at Microsoft. He
graduated from the school in 1983 and has been involved with SKEMA for many years; he
took up his new role on 19 December 2016. For a delighted Bernard Lecomte, “This new
governance is international and atypical, completely in line with SKEMA’s challenges and
international expansion.”
Two consultative bodies, the International Advisory Board (IAB) and the Research Advisory
Committee (RAC), will provide input for the strategic dimension of the new Board of
Administration. The IAB and RAC are made up of influential actors from both business and
academia.
“I would like to thank Bernard Lecomte for his unwavering commitment over the last thirty
years. His leadership and vision have contributed hugely to SKEMA and our business school’s recognition on the international stage,” declares Alice Guilhon, director of SKEMA Business School.
“I am proud and honoured to be president of SKEMA Business School, especially since I am
one of its graduates. I will devote all my energy to helping Alice Guilhon and SKEMA achieve
the school’s ambitions,” adds Jean-Philippe Courtois.
Jean-Philippe Courtois directs Sales, Marketing and Operations for over 122 branches of
Microsoft worldwide. Part of his job involves designing and implementing the company’s
sales strategy from strategic planning to resource allocation to optimise the group’s growth
throughout the world for both emerging and mature markets. Apart from Microsoft, Jean-
Philippe Courtois is administrator at Planet Finance (Positive Planet). He is also the cofounder of the Live for Good foundation – that supports young social entrepreneurs through
digital innovation. He was formerly president of SKEMA’s Strategic Orientation Committee
(COS) whose mission is now included within the new Board of Administration.