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On June 20, 2025, IÉSEG welcomed over 150 professionals, executives, HR leaders, and experts for the 9th edition of its “Université d’Été”. Held on its Paris-La Défense campus, this year’s theme was: “Organizational Transformation: Evolution or Revolution?”

A thoughtful and humorous opening talk

The event kicked off with a keynote by Charlie WINNER, an anthropologist specializing in open office cultures. His talk, “A Fresh Perspective on the World of Work,” offered a sharp yet humorous exploration of today’s work environments—covering topics like new technologies, remote work, shared office spaces, and hybrid meetings—setting the tone for a lively and engaging day.

Six roundtables exploring key challenges

Following the plenary, participants joined one of the six thematic roundtables led by IÉSEG’s faculty members and enriched by insights from experts representing companies such as STIHL France, TikTok, Capgemini Invent, Saegus, Nespresso, Renault Group, and IKEA. These discussions delved into the major transformational trends reshaping organizations:

> Customer Strategy in the Era of Personalized Experience, with Gwarlann DE KERVILER, IÉSEG professor of Marketing and Sales, guided conversations on turning customer data into meaningful and innovative experiences. The dialogue focused on redefining customer relationships and differentiating organizations in a world where experience is a key competitive advantage.

> The Future of Work and Management: New Organizational Models, led by Bernard COULATY, professor of Leadership and Human Resources, examined the profound shifts in organizational structures, evolving employee expectations, and technological changes. The discussion explored the evolving role of managers and leaders, and the critical part HR must play in supporting this transformation and fostering a more human-centered and transformative management approach.

> Economic Trends: Understanding Them to Adapt Corporate Strategy. Éric DOR, Director of Economic Studies and professor at IÉSEG, shared insights from his research on monetary and financial macroeconomics, international economic conditions, with particular focus on financial crises and the Eurozone’s dynamics.

> The Impact of Digital Transformation on Businesses, with Cyrine BEN-HAFAÏEDH, professor of Management, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Strategy, discussed how companies are navigating digital transformation in practice, highlighting both the challenges encountered and the benefits realized. Experts shared their experiences on the motivations, implementation strategies, obstacles faced, and lessons learned.

> At the Frontier of Innovation: How Leaders Navigate a Disruptive World, led by Roberto ABRAMOVICH, professor of Digital Marketing and Innovation at IÉSEG, moderated a panel of executives who shared firsthand experiences with disruption—strategic decisions made, hurdles overcome, and actions taken to turn uncertainty into a competitive edge.

> Reinventing Your Profession Amid Transition: Necessity or Opportunity? By Myriam DEGRAVE, Deputy Director of Social and Environmental Impact, addressed the ecological and social transition challenges requiring upskilling and reskilling. The conversation questioned whether we must set aside everything we’ve learned to reinvent our professions.

These collaborative workshops blended academic perspectives with practical experience to address the real-world challenges companies face today.

An opportunity to connect and reflect

The morning concluded with a networking lunch, providing participants with an informal setting to continue discussions, forge new connections, and share feedback on the day’s presentations and topics.

By combining inspiration, reflection, and dialogue, the 9th edition of IÉSEG’s Summer University once again offered professionals an open forum to engage with the ongoing shifts in the world of work and explore actionable strategies.

“The theme of transformation allowed us to build an event centered around the challenges linked to production methods, customer interactions, new ways of managing, and more. Transformation and adaptation are closely intertwined, and it felt essential—especially as a higher education institution in an ever-accelerating environment—to encourage reflection on these issues. We’re thrilled to have brought together partners’ employees, parents, alumni, and IÉSEG teams around this topic. Next year, we’ll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of this unifying event… we look forward to welcoming back loyal participants and offering this experience to newcomers!”

Virginie ALLARD, Deputy Director of Academic Relations & Internships and organizer of the Summer University.