Corporate Relations

A few years ago, I completed two ESCP Europe Specialisation programmes (then called STEGE programmes) in “General corporate management” and “Strategic management” (in French).

“At the end of the real-time diagnostic process at the end of these Specialisation programmes , the programme's academic director’s invaluable exam allowed me to not only present my participant group’s perspective to the managers, but also my own vision of the company’s mode of operation and my recommendations for future actions. I still keep in touch with them, so I can tell you that they were strongly influenced by the work we did as Specialisation programmes participants.

This experience boosted my confidence and gave me a chance to put into practice skills I acquired from my Specialisation programmes in my field. Since I knew this diagnosis was going to be managed by the same professor, I decided to present the new Specialisation programme participants’ analyses to one of the companies I was responsible for. It was a good example of Porter’s maxim: “Strategy is not about running faster than the others, but defining and running your own race”.

A project with a subsidiary of a French company in Catalonia, an area with a strong regional identity (two languages) reinforced my skills. After the Specialisation programme participants studied both the interpersonal and technical aspects of the company’s organisation, they presented their observations and recommended actions that called into question the company’s existing modes of operation. I was required to take decisions to quickly redefine the organisation and redirect corporate strategy.  The company followed the recommendations and the participants’ insights allowed me to better define the company’s strategic direction.”

Eric Samson
Groupe S3G, President, Specialised Free Press Division