Philippe Léopold-Metzger elected President of the EDHEC Foundation

Philippe Léopold-Metzger (EDHEC 1977), CEO of Piaget for close to 20 years, has been elected President of the EDHEC Foundation. He succeeds Stéphane Lagut (EDHEC 1990), who took up the position in 2018.

A graduate of EDHEC, Philippe Léopold-Metzger also holds an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Chicago. He entered the luxury goods business in 1981 with Groupe Richemont, where he successively held the positions of Chairman of Cartier Canada, Cartier Great Britain and all Asian subsidiaries. In 1992, he moved to the luxury watch and jewellery house Piaget, where he was appointed CEO in 1999, before serving on the Richemont Executive Committee between 2014 and 2018. He currently sits on the boards of various companies and not-for-profit associations, notably in the education field.

Philippe Léopold-Metzger was voted “EDHEC of the Year” in 2012. He has belonged to the EDHEC Foundation’s circle of grand donors for 10 years.

Propagate the School’s values of impact and solidarity 

The  EDHEC Foundation embodies and supports the School’s “Impact Future Generations” promise that commits it to promoting business with meaning, through its training of young talent and its academic research.

By drawing on the generosity of alumni, parents, friends and businesses, the EDHEC Foundation enables the School to accelerate development of high-impact projects designed to deliver solutions to major issues facing society: climate change, health and food issues, wealth inequalities and good use of technology. It propagates the values of solidarity, entrepreneurship and impact that are dear to EDHEC and applies them in the service of future generations.

“Having been engaged in education for a number of years, I am very pleased to work with EDHEC and take part in implementing new projects with a high impact on society. Supporting students and encouraging entrepreneurship are two missions particularly close to my heart”

explains Philippe Léopold-Metzger

The Foundation’s missions are to:

• Provide active support for the School’s research strategy, by funding seven chairs and research programmes1 in innovative fields of excellence.
• Promote pedagogical innovation so as to respond to current issues: hybridisation of knowledge, sustainable development and green finance, evolution of business models, etc.
• Encourage positive-impact entrepreneurship
• Foster diversity and inclusion via different initiatives: the “EDHEC For All” programme awarding 50%-impact bursaries (covering half the cost of tuition fees) or the launch of an Emergency Fund to help students experiencing great difficulties during the health crisis.

The EDHEC Foundation means:

• 37 patron companies and foundations
• 1,980 individual donors (alumni and parents)
• 160 EDHEC For All bursaries awarded in 2019/2020