Leadership with Purpose: Introducing EDHEC’s 2025 Global MBA Forté Fellows

Empowering Inclusive Leaders at EDHEC and Beyond

EDHEC’s partnership with the Forté Foundation reflects a commitment to developing leaders who combine business acumen with social awareness. The Forté Fellowship recognises MBA participants who demonstrate professional achievement and a clear dedication to advancing diversity and inclusion in leadership.

This year’s cohort brings together three Fellows with international backgrounds and a strong commitment to equity. Their experiences reflect the breadth of perspectives within the EDHEC Global MBA community and illustrate how the programme supports leaders seeking to make meaningful contributions in their fields.

Mark Childerhose: Building Fairer Systems through Global Collaboration
 

Mark Childerhose began his career in microfinance in Egypt and Tunisia, capitalizing client needs beyond the reach of traditional banks. 

After discovering that microloans sometimes correlate with increased domestic violence among female clients, he shifted focus to social impact monitoring of microfinance. This shift led to authoring a policy paper for the U.S. Agency for International Development, advising how to improve female client outcomes—research that informed a $35 million investment in the Egyptian microfinance sector. Then he joined USAID.

At USAID, he worked regionally in West Africa and bilaterally in South Sudan before moving to Asia to focus on projects from green infrastructure investments to climate-smart investments in the Pacific Islands. He is proud of structuring two investments announced by the U.S. President at the U.S.-ASEAN Summit, to enhance girls' access to education with reading books and increased middle school access. 

As a Forté Fellow ally, Mr. Childerhose views inclusive leadership as fundamental. 

Drawing on his experience leading highly diverse teams, he observed that truly diverse teams consistently make better decisions and have better returns. Moving forward, he aims to continue advancing opportunity and fairness for up-and-coming leaders of all backgrounds.

 

Melba Melton: Leading with integrity and expanding access for women
 

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With a career in ethics and compliance, Melba Melton brings a perspective rooted in integrity and fairness.

 “Inclusive leadership means understanding that inclusion is not passive, but an active, ongoing practice,” she writes. Her legal background informs her view that leaders must recognise unequal histories, access, and burdens, and must “acknowledge disparities directly and commit to actions that change outcomes.”

For Melba, the Forté Fellowship is an opportunity to expand access and support for women, particularly within an international context. “EDHEC’s community offers an important opportunity to engage women from many nationalities,” she says. She hopes to raise awareness of Forté’s mission and build bridges that help women feel “seen, supported, and equipped to lead.”

Melba also aims to contribute to the cohort through open dialogue. “I have often been the person in the room who asks the questions others hesitate to raise,” she notes. She brings the same approach to EDHEC, encouraging conversations about fairness, ethics, and the responsibilities of leadership.

Looking ahead, she plans to contribute to sustainability, compliance, and governance in the French luxury sector. Her advice to future MBA candidates is grounded in purpose and courage: “Businesses and institutions do not change simply because smart people enter the room. They change when brave people speak up, ask better questions, and challenge assumptions with intention.”


 

A Shared Vision for Impact:  Forté at EDHEC

Courtney, Melba, and Mark bring distinct experiences from finance, law, and international development, yet their reflections converge on a shared belief that inclusive leadership strengthens organisations and communities. Their contributions to the EDHEC Global MBA reflect the values at the heart of the Forté Foundation partnership and demonstrate how diverse leaders shape the future of global business.

As a Forté Foundation partner, EDHEC Business School supports gender diversity in leadership through dedicated scholarships for outstanding MBA candidates. The Forté Women in Leadership scholarship recognises individuals who demonstrate strong leadership potential and a commitment to creating more inclusive organisations. Recipients receive financial support toward tuition as well as access to Forté’s global network, professional resources, and community dedicated to advancing equity in business.