Advisory Council

Louvain-La-Neuve, Mons

Mission

The involvement of the business world lives at the heart of the School through its Advisory Board. Composed of a panel of multinational executives and business education specialists, our Advisory Board has the following main missions:

  • To give voice to the business world
  • To stimulate fundraising and promote innovative projects
  • To contribute to the reputation and visibility of LSM, and promote its values

Achievements

Thanks to ongoing dialogue with our Advisory Board, we are aware of the business world's expectations regarding the knowledge and skills of future managers. Moreover, this dialogue has led to several significant achievements, such as the Philippe de Woot Award, the annual CEMS doctoral finance seminar, the Fellows policy, and the creation of professional certification programs (CFA, SCOR).

Since 2013, our Advisory Board, composed of 30 members, has operated through Task Forces (TF). Each TF is led by a Head of Task Force and brings together members from sectors with complementary activities, expertise, and networks around a strategic theme for LSM.

In 2013 and 2014, seven task forces worked on the following themes:

  • CSR TF, led by Xavier Desclée (Innovity, Chief Executive Officer)
  • INTERNATIONAL TF, led by Didier Malherbe (UCB Belgium, Chief Executive Officer)
  • ALUMNI TF, led by Philippe Vander Putten (Distec International, Chairman)
  • TEACHING TF, led by Isabelle Callens (ORES, Public Affairs & Communication Director)
  • COMMUNICATION TF, led by Valérie Busquin (MarkQuest, Managing Director)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP & REGIONAL ANCHORING TF, led by Jacques Delmoitiez (BASF, President Europe, Middle East and Africa)

In 2014, the Rector appointed Pierre-Olivier Beckers as President of the Advisory Board, in agreement with the outgoing President Didier de Callatay.

In 2015, the Advisory Board was recalibrated into the Advisory Council, with a more focused Advisory Board within it, serving as a true 'working body' dedicated to playing a more direct role in the direction and certain aspects of our school's operations.

Under the leadership of President Pierre-Olivier Beckers and Vice President Xavier Desclée, five task forces were established to continue the work previously done:

  • Communication TF, led by Valérie Busquin (MarkQuest, Managing Director)
  • Employability TF, led by Marie-Pierre Saint Viteux (Volvo Construction Equipment, VP HR and LSM Alumni, President)
  • Current Affairs Seminar TF, led by Philippe Masset (Bank Degroof Petercam, Chief Executive Officer)
  • Multilingualism TF, led by Eric Domb (Pari Daiza, Founder)
  • Continuing Education TF, led by Jacques Delmoitiez (ALIFUCAM, President)

An academic advisor is delegated by LSM to each task force.

The task forces present the results of their work at the annual plenary assembly of the Advisory Council, to which the core faculty professors of LSM, the Presidents of alumni associations, and the Representatives of student associations are invited.

Furthermore, the master's program committees (120 ECTS) also benefit from contributions from the members of the Advisory Council.

In 2020, Sophie Streydio succeeded Pierre-Olivier Beckers as President of the Advisory Board.