Valérie Gauthier

About Valérie Gauthier

Valérie Gauthier was educated in France and the United States, with a BS in Psychology (University Paris V), two Masters: in Modern Literature (University of Paris III) and in English (University of Oklahoma) and a PhD in Comparative Literature (Sorbonne). Drawing from her expertise in linguistics and poetic translation as well as leadership and cross-cultural relationships, she has built relational communication and leadership development programs under the concept of savoir-relier® or the capacity and will to build sensible, sustainable and trustworthy relationships within complex systems and across boundaries (i.e. between entities that are inherently different, opposite or antagonistic), hence encouraging and valuing differences to engage in positive and mindful innovation.

Dr. Gauthier was Dean of the HEC MBA Program from 2002 to 2010 where she redesigned the MBA curriculum and restructured the program with a view towards future societal and educational shifts. Under her two mandates, the program underwent a fundamental transformation that has placed the HEC MBA among the top MBA programs worldwide. She taught relational leadership and business communication courses at NYU Stern in 2011. While on sabbatical writing her book on sense relationships and leadership, she is visiting professor at MIT Sloan Management in 2011-2012 (teaching relational leadership, leadership beyond cultures and communication for leaders).

She developed and implemented a business plan to increase international HEC visibility and selectivity of the MBA program to potential corporate partners and potential students. She also improved the International MBA ranking – 18th in 2011 of the Financial Times ranking (67th in 2002)/9th of The Economist ranking in 2010 (44th in 2006).

From 2007 to 2009, she was in charge of the Apple Chair “Management of Technology” to enhance pedagogical means toward the theme: “Learning without Borders”. In 2008, she created the HEC Center “Visions of Leadership” that aims to bring together HEC Paris’ research and development activities on issues related to leadership to promote innovation in management sciences in line with issues raised by the corporate world. By 2010, the founding partners of the Center were L’Oréal, MSD China and Alcatel-Lucent. In 2009, she launched the Entrepreneurship Track Program that supports training of underserved women entrepreneurs in China. The ETP has been delivered in partnership with Tsinghua School of Economics and Management in Beijing under the sponsorship of Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Women initiative.

Elected best HEC Professor of the year, she received in 2001 the HEC Vernimmen award; in 2010 she was decorated as Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor and that same year was selected as Visionary by Fortune “Global Visionaries Forum”

She was Professional Athlete (won Gold Medal in French Ski Open Master 2 category in 2004 and 4th place in US NAIA Tennis Championship in 1983). Her passions include poetry, painting, education and technology.

Her research includes the following publications: “Building on Sense:Leading with a savoir-relier mindset””, book in progress; Le Savoir-Relier, chapter in Les Sept Clés du Leadership, Edition L’Archipel, 2010. “Repenser l’éducation des futurs leaders” in La Tribune, September 2009; “Pour un apprentissage du leadership” in Les Echos, May 2008; “Intuitive intelligence and leadership” in L’art du management, 2008; “Le leadership, une construction de soi” in La Tribune, April 2007; “La lente mais irrésistible montée des femmes” in Les Echos, October 2005; “Le “savoir-relier” et son importance dans la formation au management” in Les Echos, September 2004, “savoir-relier” (with JP Larçon et J. Lendrevie) in L’Ecole des managers de demain, 1994, in Economica.