emlyon business school in France.
Isabelle Huault
Executive President and Dean at emlyon business school
“The real challenge is to reach a point where a leader’s gender is no longer a topic of discussion, to render parity a non-issue, so that we are no longer invited to panels (or interviews) to address women leading schools or universities.”
Isabelle Huault graduated from emlyon, and has a PhD in Management Sciences. She took office as Executive President and Dean on September 2020, and was previously Professor of the University Paris Dauphine-PSL since 2005, Vice-President since 2015, and President from December 2016 to September 2020. As a Professor, she taught strategy and organization studies. Her research works mostly focused on the issues of the social construction of financial markets, financialization and financial regulation.
Women now make up roughly 30% of business school deans globally. What has driven that increase and what still limits faster progress? Over the past few years, we’ve seen two forces working in tandem. First, more women now hold “stepping stone” roles such as associate dean, that have historically fed into deanships. According to AACSB’s 2023–24 Deans Survey, women constitute 43% of associate deans. Moreover, institutional intent is clearer, including in France, through the widespread adoption of equality policies (e.g., equality officers, anti VSS mechanisms, and action plans), as well as near parity among students in business schools—conditions that make appointing women to top roles more “normal” than “exceptional.”
Recent research finds women are more likely to enter the dean role from interim appointments and less likely through traditional department chair pipelines—signs of persistent structural asymmetries. It also shows that pressures on deans have intensified (commercialization, funding constraints), making risk averse boards default to more familiar profiles.
What barriers to advancement persist? The barriers are gradually disappearing, which is in itself very encouraging. I would nevertheless still distinguish three types of obstacles:
- Stereotyped leadership profiles in appointment processes: evaluation criteria still tend to privilege linear career paths and specific prior roles to which women have historically had less access.
- The cost of work-life alignment at key inflection points: as several deans have publicly observed, the window for pursuing top positions often collides with personal responsibilities; while flexible institutional arrangements remain uneven. Analyses of MBA and leadership pipelines similarly highlight how timing and flexibility shape women’s trajectories.
- Self-censorship and confidence gaps reinforced by legacy norms. As I have said elsewhere, we must counter self-censorship and enable women to “embrace their own way” of leading.
‘The current backlash should not lead us to abandon our commitments. This is not an ideological matter; it is a scientific and ethical issue for businesses and for society at large. Numerous studies show that diverse management teams are better able to manage complex stakeholder demands and model inclusive cultures that students will replicate in the workplace.’
Why parity still matters—and how to make the case amid DEI pushback The current backlash should not lead us to abandon our commitments. This is not an ideological matter; it is a scientific and ethical issue for businesses and for society at large. Numerous studies show that diverse management teams are better able to manage complex stakeholder demands and model inclusive cultures that students will replicate in the workplace.
In addition, gender-diverse leadership broadens talent appeal, improves the quality of decision-making quality, and aligns schools with employer and societal expectations.
Finally, it is a civic mission. At emlyon, we consider gender equality as an integral part of our responsibility to the next generation.
After reaching the deanship, what challenges persist? Any advantages? Our sector places legitimacy primarily on deep knowledge of teaching and research, passion for education, proven expertise, and tangible results in institutional leadership. Most university presidents and business school deans emerge from academia. I think this is a more important criterion than the leader’s gender. That has been my experience at emlyon and it remains a key asset.
Yet, we remain far from parity. The real challenge is to reach a point where a leader’s gender is no longer a topic of discussion, to render parity a non-issue, so that we are no longer invited to panels (or interviews) to address women leading schools or universities.
Why representation in leadership matters for students—and for business? It is about setting an example. Our female students aspire to the same positions and salaries as their male peers both upon entering the workforce and throughout their careers. Our annual studies reveal that we are not there yet, due to various factors (self-censorship, negotiation skills, ability to envision oneself in oversized roles, corporate commitment, etc.).
The School has a duty to lead by example for employers and inspire our female students. Seeing women in visible leadership positions in strategy, research, partnerships, and finance demonstrates that female leadership is both possible and effective.
Sector-wide data confirm this: as women representation grows in programs and management teams, role model and pipeline effects ripple across the industry.
What has your school put in place? I would highlight three types of initiatives:
- Efforts to set an example within governance emlyon has significantly strengthened the presence of women within its governance bodies: women now represent 40% of the Executive Committee and 41% of the Supervisory Board.
- An ambitious HR policy for staff and faculty. With women making up 64% of the workforce across all campuses and 66% in France, promoting gender equality remains a cornerstone of our social policy. To support this commitment, we signed a gender equality and inclusion agreement in December 2018, designed to encourage women to apply for promotions and internal mobility opportunities. Our efforts toward professional equality between women and men are also monitored through the Gender Equality Index, which assesses pay gaps and awards a score out of 100. emlyon scores 90/100, underscoring our strong commitment to this cause. Since 2025, the School has held the European HRS4R label for its HR strategy supporting researchers—including a dedicated gender equality component—and received the HR Excellence in Research award in February 2025.
- Specific training and awareness-raising initiatives for students. “Empowerment” workshops are offered to female students to prepare them to face real-world professional situations, particularly salary negotiations and overcoming self-censorship when seeking advancement within a company. Events such as Women in Data Science (WiDS) are organized, bringing together professionals, faculty, and students for conferences and workshops aimed at promoting the role of women in technological fields. Finally, the executive education program Certificat Objectif Conseil d’administration aims to ensure women take their rightful place in corporate governance. More than 40% of the women who have completed this program are currently, or have previously been, board members.
What would most meaningfully push female deans beyond 30%? What reforms are overdue? There are concrete actions to take, and we are moving in the right direction. Here are just two ideas:
- Define leadership roles: set explicit targets for women in associate/vice dean and department chair positions; require gender-balanced candidate shortlists for these roles and as well as for deanships.
- Professionalize research processes: mandate gender-balanced research committees, consistent evaluation criteria, and bias-free procedures in both public and private schools.
Next page: Hannah Holmes, Dean of Manchester Metropolitan University Business School