Scaling with Structure: How the EDHEC Executive MBA Shaped a Group Managing Director Forme

Clementine Venck has built her career at the intersection of craft, growth and leadership. As Group Managing Director of Cocottes & Co in Luxembourg, she oversees a diversified food and hospitality group spanning 19 retail outlets, a central production facility, a restaurant and a food hall, representing around 400 employees. Her trajectory reflects steady expansion in scope and responsibility. When she enrolled on the EDHEC Executive MBA in Paris, she was General Manager of a fast-growing business. On completion, she stepped into group leadership, assuming strategic oversight of a multi-entity organisation.

Her decision followed a period of volatility that sharpened her appetite for structure and perspective. Scaling operations in a post-pandemic environment required deeper expertise in finance, governance and transformation. The part-time format, delivered once a month from Wednesday to Saturday over 16 or 19 months in Paris , created space for reflection while sustaining executive responsibility.

Within a cohort averaging 16 years of professional experience and 19 nationalities , she engaged with core strategic fundamentals, elective choices and the Transform360 leadership development journey . The following conversation explores how this experience reshaped her leadership, accelerated organisational change and expanded her professional horizon.

Describe the thought process that led to your deciding to pursue an Executive MBA. How did EDHEC distinguish itself during your decision-making process?

The decision to pursue an Executive MBA emerged right after COVID. As we were scaling and had just moved into our new production facility, the pandemic led to a significant drop in revenue. The shock highlighted the limits of relying solely on operational experience in a volatile environment.

At the same time, the market had evolved considerably since my Bachelor’s degree. Topics such as digitalization and sustainability were not central to my earlier studies, yet they had become structural dimensions of competitiveness. If I wanted to continue supporting Cocottes’ growth, I needed stronger capabilities in finance, strategy, governance, and transformation.

I chose the Executive MBA at EDHEC Business School for four main reasons: the balance between hard skills and leadership development, the format of four days per month, the fully in-person structure, and the strong value for money of the program.

Looking back, it was clearly the right decision. The alumni network is strong and active. It opened the door to a broader community in Luxembourg and even led me to join the EDHEC Running Club locally. I also had the opportunity to give back by welcoming Global MBA participants to our company during their study trek week in Luxembourg.

How did the programme structure support your ability to balance career, family life, and studies?

As mentioned previously, the format, 4 days per month in Paris, was compatible with my responsibilities in Luxembourg. In a way, being “forced” to step away four days per month improved my organization, delegation, and ability to take a step back from day-to-day operations. Group work was easily organized online. For a business case based on my company, my study group came to Luxembourg and spent a weekend immersed in our operations, visiting the production facility, stores, and restaurant, turning the assignment into a practical “food marathon.”

And honestly, for a food and hospitality addict, there are worse playgrounds than Paris. I observed and tested many concepts (strictly out of professional conscience, of course). Those four days felt like a reset. The cohort was outstanding, and we still meet pretty often. If I had to do the EMBA again, I would sign up tomorrow.

In what ways did the programme allow you to immediately apply EMBA lessons to challenges at work while you were studying?

The impact was immediate and very practical. In most courses, I used to write notes in the margin: “Could this work at Cocottes?” Back in Luxembourg, I would test, adjust, and observe the results. The programme became a live laboratory rather than a theoretical exercise.

Some applications were structural. We digitalized our operations using no-code solutions, which allowed us to pilot our value chain more precisely and make data-driven decisions. The gains generated supported further innovation and accelerated our sustainability transition, including the launch of a phygital training platform focused on inclusion, diversity, and upskilling. These initiatives were later recognized with a national innovation award in the craft sector, distinctions for quality and excellence, and a label from the Ministry of Diversity and Inclusion.

Other applications were simpler but equally impactful. For example, the Pixar-style post-mortem method introduced in class inspired us to implement a continuous improvement ritual across all departments and entities of the group. It strengthened transparency, accountability, and collective learning. The entrepreneurship course, in particular, felt like a comprehensive toolbox that I still use today, even in more mature and structured environments.

How has the programme contributed to the development of your leadership skills?  

It may sound cliché, but the EMBA transformed me more personally than professionally. I was extremely introverted. Since then, I have done things I would never have dared to consider (I now qualify as a social introvert!)

Some concepts became anchors in my daily decisions. The notion of alignment, ensuring coherence between vision, strategy, operations, and people, now guides how I lead. The distinction, often associated with Peter Drucker, between “doing the things right” and “doing the right thing” reshaped my mindset. It reinforced that efficiency alone is insufficient.

Another lasting lesson was “better done than perfect.” It helped me move away from excessive perfectionism and adopt a stronger execution mindset: deliver, test, adjust.

The MBA also changed my relationship to public speaking. Before the program, speaking publicly was unthinkable. Since then, I have delivered talks and taken the floor on strategic topics related to the company.  

How did you tailor your EMBA experience to align with your specific goals and expectations?

The choice of electives was one way to personalize the EMBA. I selected courses such as Entrepreneurship, Decision-Making, and Design Thinking because they directly matched Cocottes’ growth and innovation challenges. The objective was pragmatic: focus on what could create immediate impact for the company.

Beyond electives, much of the personalization came from what was not planned. The diversity, openness, and a certain positive craziness within the cohort played a major role. The business trips were equally transformative. The immersion in Côte d’Ivoire, and the encounters with hospitality and entrepreneurial leaders there, broadened my understanding of emerging ecosystems. The experience had a lasting impact. I now regularly return to the African Conference on Tourism and Hotel Investment in Côte d’Ivoire. I also travel to Cameroon to meet young people in schools, sharing my journey and highlighting the career opportunities that hospitality can offer.

Over time, this combination of intentional choices and unexpected exposure deepened my curiosity. I have since been admitted to a Doctorate of Business Administration. My research will examine how emotions are intentionally designed and transmitted within hospitality organizations, in a context shaped by digitalization, AI, labor shortages, and generational shifts, and what this implies for leadership, organizational coherence, and long-term resilience.

EDHEC EMBA: from Transformation to Trajectory

Clementine’s reflections illustrate the Executive MBA as a structured catalyst for disciplined growth. Academic rigour, action learning and the individual Consulting Project or Business Plan translated directly into operational decisions and long-term positioning. Two international business trips and access to a global alumni network of over 60,000 professionals reinforced that transformation unfolds within a community as much as within an organisation.

Her journey continues through teaching, board engagement and doctoral research. The foundations laid during the EMBA now inform how she leads, decides and designs experiences at scale.