Eric Labaye

As President of École Polytechnique, a leading French institution of higher education and research, I shape the school’s strategic directions to fulfill its overall mission. I aim to continually develop our international reputation, develop our own resources, build new partnerships with global universities, and strengthen our links with companies and higher administration, while maintaining the school’s elite level of excellence in research, innovation and academic programs. I have always been passionate about education and research and I am a member of the board of Telecom Paris Tech, the International Advisory Board of ESSEC, and the Board of Advisors of the School of Public Affairs at Sciences Po. In my previous role, I was Senior Partner (Director) at McKinsey & Company and Chairman of McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey’s business and economic research arm. Prior to this, I was Managing Director of the France office (2002-2010) and led the firm’s global knowledge and communications function (2010-2013), as a member of the Global Operating Committee. I was also a member of the Shareholders Council of the firm for ten years, of which I chaired the Client Committee. At McKinsey, I had the opportunity to work extensively for clients globally in the Telecom, High-tech and industrial sectors, and also for governments and public institutions on a variety of strategic and operational issues. I conducted many research projects with MGI and in France on key economic topics, including growth in Europe, productivity, digitalization, future of work and inequality. I also initiated and co-led McKinsey’s “Women Matter” research program, which, since 2007, aims to promote gender diversity in large companies’ senior management. I was a member of the “Commission pour la Libération de la Croissance Française” (Release Growth in France), from 2007 to 2010, and a member of the “Commission Economique de la Nation” (French National Economic Commission) from 2005 to 2014.