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Blanche Segrestin

Blanche Segrestin

Professor

Center · CGS

Discipline(s)
Management
Topic(s)
Acceptability, CO2, Governance, Industrial Sovereignty, Innovation and Design, Public Policy

Keywords

Awards & distinctions

  • 2020 Journal of Management History - Literati Award Winners 2020 pour le papier The separation of directors and managers: A historical examination of the status of managers.
  • 2020 Finalist for the Academic Prize for Management Research—Category: “Redefining the Relationship Between Business and Society”—FNEGE.
  • 2019 Best Paper du SIG Business for Society de l’European Academy of Management
  • 2019 Le Monde HR Award - Le Monde - Sciences Po and Syntec
  • 2013 Syntec-SFM Award for Best Management Research Paper, 2013.
  • 2012 Award from the French Association for Internal Communication for the book *Refonderl’entreprise*, AFCI
  • 2012 Manpower Foundation for Employment-HEC Award (Student Award) for the bookRefounding the Company
  • 2012 Syntec Award for Best Management Book

Team

Modèles de gouvernance, transitions et création collective

Biography

Blanche Segrestin is a researcher specializing in management science and corporate law, whose work focuses on the evolution of corporate governance models, corporate social and environmental responsibility, and managerial innovation. Her research explores, in particular, the legal and organizational transformations that enable corporate structures to align with societal and environmental goals. She has contributed to the analysis of new legal forms of business, such as the *mission-driven company* in France, by studying their ability to sustainably integrate a collective purpose into governance. Her work highlights the concept of *managerial norms* as a tool for evaluating and holding strategic decisions accountable, particularly in the face of ecological transition challenges. She also examines the limitations of traditional legal frameworks in supporting corporate innovation and creativity, proposing alternative models such as *steward-ownership* or *generative governance*. Her expertise spans the intersection of law, management, and economics, with a critical approach to power dynamics within organizations.

Publication(s)

Projects

  • 2015-2029 Chaire "Théorie de l'Entreprise. Modèles de gouvernance et création collective" Co-Investigator La chaire a été créée à Mines Paris, PSL en 2015 avec l’ambition de refonder le droit de l’entreprise à partir de sa puissance créative et des responsabilités qui y sont associées. La notion « d’entreprise à mission » était l’une de ses principales propositions. Introduites par la loi Pacte de 2019, les sociétés à mission sont aujourd’hui près de 2000, et la recherche peut désormais découvrir la diversité de leurs fonctionnements ainsi que l’originalité des dynamiques systémiques qu’elles engendrent. Mais le déploiement des sociétés à mission permet aussi d’explorer de nouvelles voies pour susciter les transitions collectives nécessaires. Le troisième cycle de la chaire, inauguré en avril 2025, poursuivra l'étude des sociétés à mission, de leurs fonctionnements et impacts, et de leurs déclinaisons possibles à l’échelle européenne. Au-delà des entreprises prises isolément, la chaire élargira aussi son champ de recherche aux conditions favorisant des transitions collectives. Aujourd’hui, les régulations uniformes et la coordination autour de grands scénarios sont de plus en plus contestés. Dans quelle mesure peut-on concevoir des transitions collectives sur d’autres bases, en s’appuyant sur des trajectoires locales ou des modes de gouvernance différenciés ? Quels principes pourraient garantir une gestion soutenable des activités, aux niveaux individuel, écosystémique et global ?

Teaching

Corporate Governance

Instructor in charge

The course will begin with the “modern” company (the “large corporation” of the 20th century), placing its emergence in historical context in relation to issues of innovation and the role of engineers. Based on this general characterization, various issues will be examined. Each of these issues gives rise to different corporate structures and a variety of tools. The course will thus consist of several modules: Corporate Management – Status of Executives; Participation – Voting Rights, Corporate Democracy, and Profit Sharing; Responsibility – Social and Environmental Issues In each module, the course will integrate several approaches: Theoretical framework Expert presentations: corporate law, governance models abroad, and international standards for corporate social responsibility. Case studies, featuring historical examples (Carl Zeiss, Baldwin Locomotives, etc.) or recent innovations (e.g., mission-driven companies).

Corporate Finance

Instructor in charge

CONTENT & ACTIVITIES This course introduces the role of finance and its system of collective action. It addresses the following questions: How do you assess a company’s financial health? How do you finance a company’s growth? And how should a company’s stage of development (startup, SME, mid-market company, large corporation) be taken into account? How do you value a company, for example, for an acquisition or an initial public offering (IPO)? How are contemporary issues of sustainable development and innovation transforming historical models and practices in corporate finance? The course will incorporate several teaching methods: Lectures and tutorials using real-world case studies (financial analysis of a publicly traded company) and practical exercises (e.g., financing a solar power plant) Presentations by experts (investors, financial analysts, or CFOs), particularly those engaged in exploring more sustainable financial practices.

New Businesses and Responsible Governance

Instructor in charge

Fundamentals of corporate and labor law; the history of the emergence of the corporation; dominant theoretical frameworks and their limitations (economics, sociology, governance); transformation through intensive innovation; new challenges in corporate social responsibility; new business models.

Design Engineering (DE) Option

Lecturer

National and International Context The program collaborates with leading international academic institutions in its field (Chalmers, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Imperial College, RWTH Aachen, Delft, etc.) and with France’s top design schools (Strate College, École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle, ENSAD). Compared to the curricula of these leading international scientific institutions, the program allows students to combine courses in “Engineering Design,” “Project Management,” “Innovation Management,” and “Industrial Design” in a unique way. Career Prospects and Opportunities Graduates of this track go on to work in a wide variety of sectors (automotive, aerospace, high tech, luxury goods, services, innovation or intellectual property consulting, healthcare, energy, retail, etc.), including the creative industries. With the expansion of innovation departments in many large corporations, several students have quickly risen to high-level innovation leadership roles (Schneider, Thales, RATP, SNCF, Urgo, Airbus, etc.). Some representative elective topics covered in recent years: The elective project runs from October through June. Topics are carefully selected from a wide range of sectors. They fall into two main categories: • Type 1: Students participate in the development of a range of new products or systems and implement new design approaches. Some examples: Seb / startup incubator: development of devices to combat mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases Soft@Home / Orange: leveraging data from home internet routers Urgo Médical: development of connected devices in healthcare Decathlon: the “freshness” of sportswear: methodology for exploring and structuring a new value proposition. • Type 2: Students participate in the development of design methods. Some examples: Airbus: methodology to support cross-sector technology transfer; innovation support tool for the “design-oriented factory” Thales Avionics: From Operational Need to Innovative Design: The Case of Helmet-Mounted Displays for Helicopter Pilots. SNCF / Zeebra (startup): Development of digital tools and services for coordinating innovation experts within the company. Throughout this work, students receive significant support from the faculty teaching the elective. It is a key educational experience during which students can consolidate their knowledge and gain initial professional experience on a topic that addresses real-world business challenges.

PhD supervision

  • 2025 Collectively managing the water resource in the face of shortages: exploring the application of the general average rule RAKOVITCH Thaïs
  • 2024 Ecological Transformation and Responsibility: Implementation, Monitoring and Scope of a Corporate Purpose GOLSE Clara
  • 2021 Promoting the energy transition while ensuring access: role, models and tools of the electricity network manager GOUTALAND Antoine
  • 2021 Aligning local investment with global transitions in the world of finance: challenges, design, and conditions for the effectiveness of impact measures ENJALBERT Thomas
  • 2020 Scaling challenges for a deeptech startup: managing the creation of intellectual assets TAUPIN Louise
  • 2019 Climate change mitigation tested by equity: A study of the general average rule and its implications for climate action. DEMONSANT Charlotte
  • 2017 Designing the mission as a generative commitment: challenges, pitfalls, and formulation principles for mission-driven companies LEVEQUE Jérémy
  • 2017 The identity of the public service company through the lens of the mission-driven company: The case of La Poste and the formulation of its purpose RAGOT Samantha
  • 2015 Can venture capital sustainably support business growth? Study, model, and conditions of a regenerative capital PARPALEIX Laure-Anne
  • 2015 Shareholder engagement: from the industrialization of shareholding to the expression of new responsibilities BELINGA Rachelle
  • 2011 Les entreprises à mission : Formes, modèle et implications d’un engagement collectif LEVILLAIN Kevin
  • 2008 Contribution à une théorie de la conception des agro-écosystèmes : Fonds écologique et inconnu commun BERTHET Elsa
  • 2008 La managérialisation des musées : une analyse par les régimes de signification COBLENCE Emmanuel