Speakers

Pierre Alquier is a Professor of Statistics in the Information Systems, Data Analytics and Operations Department at ESSEC Business School on the Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore, a position he has held since January 2023.

He holds a PhD in Mathematical Statistics from Université Pierre et Marie Curie (2006). He has previously held academic positions at Université Paris Diderot, University College Dublin, and ENSAE Paris, before joining the RIKEN research center in Tokyo as a research scientist (2019–2022).

A specialist in statistical theory and machine learning, his research focuses on approximate Bayesian methods, robust high-dimensional learning, and dependent models, with notable contributions in PAC-Bayesian theory and robust estimation.

He serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Machine Learning Research and Transactions in Machine Learning Research, and regularly holds program committee roles in major conferences such as NeurIPS, AISTATS, COLT, and ALT.

At ESSEC, he teaches core courses in statistics, machine learning, and data science (using Python and R) across several programs (BBA, Master in Finance, SMIB, Master in Data Science & Business Analytics), as well as an advanced course on online learning for the ESSEC-CentraleSupélec Master’s program.

Professor Xavier Bigard, a renowned professor of sports medicine, has served as Medical Director of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) since June 1, 2018, following his appointment by UCI President David Lappartient.

A former scientific advisor to the president of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), he has also worked as a specialist for the French Ministries of Health and Sport. Prior to that, he chaired the French Society for Sports and Exercise Medicine and served as a researcher in exercise physiology for the French Army until 2013.

As UCI Medical Director, his main responsibilities include defining a fitness-for-competition medical policy, implementing medical monitoring of elite athletes, coordinating medical services at competitions, and organizing research on the harmful effects of substances, methods, and tools used in sport.

Jean-Philippe Gatien is an iconic figure in French sport and one of the most accomplished table tennis players on the international stage.

From an early age, he stood out as an exceptional talent, eventually becoming the only French player to date to win a World Championship title in men’s singles, in 1993 in Gothenburg. His achievements also include two Olympic medals: a silver in singles at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and a bronze in doubles at the 2000 Sydney Games alongside Patrick Chila. In July 1992, he reached the world number one ranking, capping a career defined by discipline, consistency, and an assertive offensive playing style.

On the national level, Jean-Philippe Gatien claimed thirteen French national titles in singles, along with several doubles championships, cementing his status as a leading figure in the sport. He was a cornerstone of the Levallois club, which he helped elevate to the highest level of European competition.

Beyond his athletic career, Jean-Philippe Gatien has been deeply committed to the development of elite sport and the training of young talent. He served as President of the French National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP) from 2014 to 2021, before joining the Organising Committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as Director of Sports. In this role, he has played a key role in shaping the Games’ sports strategy in close collaboration with federations and institutional stakeholders.

A PhD from INSEAD and a Doctor of Management Sciences from Paris-Dauphine, Fabrice Cavarretta has also studied at the École Polytechnique (Eng), Stanford/ENSTA (Ms CS), and Harvard (MBA). He teaches Entrepreneurship and Leadership in MBA and executive education programs. His thesis explored the link between organizational factors (team, leader, resources) and performance, focusing particularly on extreme cases (successes and failures).

His current research focuses on managerial doctrines, and in particular lean management, both in entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial contexts. Fabrice Cavarretta has 12 years of operational management experience, including as a division director for a major media/telecom group and founder of a social media startup.

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is a major figure in the French sports and institutional landscape. A former professional tennis player, she notably won the Orange Bowl in 1992 and reached the semi-finals of the Junior Grand Slam before ending her sporting career in 1996 to devote herself to an academic career of excellence. A graduate of Sciences Po, ESSEC, Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, and ENA, she began a career in senior civil service at the Court of Auditors, before joining major private groups, notably AXA and then Carrefour, where she held strategic management positions in the fields of digital technology, transformation, and innovation. In 2021, she was appointed Director General of the French Tennis Federation, where she notably oversees major competitions and the modernization of the institution. An active advocate for more ethical and effective governance of French sport, she co-founded the association "Rénovons le sport français" (Let's Renovate French Sport) and is involved in several educational and social projects.

In May 2022, she was appointed Minister of Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a position she will hold until September 2024. In this position, she will play a key role in the preparation and success of the Paris 2024 Games, ensuring the social, educational, and environmental legacy of this global event.

Since September 2024, she has chaired the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), where she continues her commitment to more inclusive, sustainable, and meaningful sport for future generations.

Steven Seggie is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneur at ESSEC Business School, where he also serves as Academic Director of the Executive MBA program—first a traditional EMBA since 2019, then a hybrid EMBA starting in 2024.

Holding a PhD in Marketing and International Business from Michigan State University (2007), an MBA from Sabancı University in Turkey (2003), and a BA in Political Science from the University of Glasgow (1995), he served as a professor at Ozyegin University in Istanbul, where he also headed the entrepreneurship and management departments.

His research and teaching interests focus on customer-driven innovation, new product launches, interorganizational relationships, and scientometrics, with numerous publications in renowned international journals such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, and Industrial Marketing Management.

At the same time, he supports startups as a mentor and investor, and collaborates with large companies to help them structure their innovation processes.

Isabelle Solal is an Assistant Professor in the Management Department at ESSEC Business School, where she teaches entrepreneurship and organizational behavior. She holds a PhD in management from INSEAD in 2019, an MBA from INSEAD, an LLM from the College of Europe, a Master's degree in private law from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, and an LLB from King's College London.

Before entering academia, she worked as a lawyer specializing in investment dispute resolution and sports law, then as a management consultant at McKinsey, and finally as a compliance and integrity manager at FIFA T.M.S. in Switzerland.

Her research focuses on the mechanisms of inequality in labor and financial markets, particularly the role of gender in interpreting economic signals and the unintended effects of diversity initiatives. She also examines mental health at work, using quantitative methods and laboratory experiments in entrepreneurial and senior management contexts.

In 2023, she was a finalist for the UNWTO Responsible Research Award for her article "Not My CEO: Employee Reactions to the Threat of Female Leadership."