Pressroom
Natixis, École Polytechnique and HEC Paris set up the Business Analytics for Future Banking international teaching and research chair
François Riahi, Chief Executive Officer of Natixis, Éric Labaye, President of École Polytechnique, Peter Todd, Dean of HEC Paris, Jean-Bernard Lartigue, Executive Director of the École Polytechnique Foundation and Olivier Sevillia, President of the HEC Foundation have signed a partnership to create the Business Analytics for Future Banking teaching and research chair.
Julie Josse, professor at École Polytechnique, Jean-Edouard Colliard, associate professor at HEC Paris and Vincent Fraitot, affiliate professor at HEC Paris will be in charge of academic supervision of the chair.
The chair aims to contribute to the development of data culture and usage, which is one of the keys in redesigning the bank of tomorrow. Notably, when used in data science algorithms, data help improve banks’ operating efficiency and enable the development of new value-added services. The chair will give students exposure to real examples and allow them to interact with Natixis’ experts.
A Data Science for Management certificate course of four-to-five weeks will be open to all HEC Paris and École Polytechnique students, who will have the opportunity to work on challenges put forward by Natixis that address current practical business issues, in addition to theory classes.
The chair will also focus on research, with meetings between partners and research professors, as well as conferences and seminars on matters related to the chair’s fields of research and teaching. Research professors will also be able to put forward and define areas for research.
François Riahi, Chief Executive Officer of Natixis, states: “We are proud to support this chair with two premium universities, and this innovative partnership fits within our broader strategy to support the generations of tomorrow, as these up-and-coming talents play a key role in current technological and digital transformation. Their agility, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit are vital in fusing the scientific and business aspects of today’s data challenges.”
Éric Labaye, President of École Polytechnique notes: “The creation of this Business Analytics for Future Banking chair is an excellent opportunity to combine the strengths of two outstanding universities, HEC and École Polytechnique, with one of the biggest names in the French banking sector, Natixis. Our two universities’ areas of expertise dovetail neatly, as we join forces to enhance research into managing and using big data. This joint endeavor reflects the strong cooperation that has characterized our relationship for several years, harnessing École Polytechnique's extensive pool of data science researchers and labs. This is also an exciting opportunity for students to learn from and contribute to Natixis’ expertise.”
Peter Todd, Dean of HEC Paris, adds: “We are very proud of The Business Analytics for Future Banking chair for several reasons. Firstly, it focuses on an area of research and teaching that lies at the very heart of HEC’s longstanding financial innovation tradition, and we are pleased to use this expertise to support Natixis, a key partner in the banking sector. Secondly, this joint chair embodies the strong cooperation between our two universities for the past several years. Our joint efforts are based on very real value-added projects, leveraging the outstanding academic complementarity that already exists between HEC and École Polytechnique, and this fresh research and teaching chair is a reflection of the spirit of partnership we seek to promote in both our universities, providing both Natixis and our students with unprecedented innovation opportunities.”
Press contacts:
HEC Paris: Sophie Garnichat - +33 1 39 67 94 03 - garnichat@hec.fr
École Polytechnique: Clémence Naizet +33 1 69 33 38 74 - clemence.naizet@polytechnique.edu
École Polytechnique, also known as L’X, is the leading French institution combining top-level research, academics, and innovation at the cutting-edge of science and technology. Its various undergraduate and graduate-level programs – Bachelor of Science, Ingénieur Polytechnicien (Master’s level program), Master’s, and PhD – are highly selective and promote a culture of excellence with a strong emphasis on science, anchored in humanist traditions. As a widely internationalized university, École Polytechnique offers a variety of international programs and attracts a growing number of foreign students and researchers from around the globe (currently 36% of students and 39% of faculty members).
École Polytechnique offers an exceptional education to prepare bright men and women to excel in top-level key positions and lead complex and innovative projects which meet the challenges of 21st century society, all while maintaining a keen sense of their civil and social responsibilities. With its 22 laboratories, 21 of which are joint research units with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the École Polytechnique Research Center explores the frontiers of interdisciplinary knowledge to provide major contributions to science, technology, and society. École Polytechnique is also a pioneer and leading institution of the major scientific and economic cluster, Paris-Saclay, bringing together top French higher education and research institutions, as well as R&D centers of prominent international companies.
Specializing in management education and research, HEC Paris offers a complete and unique range of educational programs for the leaders of tomorrow: Masters programs, Summer School, MBA, PhD, Executive MBA, TRIUM Global Executive MBA, open-enrolment and custom executive education programs.
Founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HEC Paris boasts a faculty of 140 professors, more than 4,500 students and over 8,000 managers and executives in training each year.
HEC Paris was ranked second business school in Europe by the Financial Times’ overall business school ranking in December 2018.
Created in 1987 by twenty leading French companies at the request of Bernard Esambert (class of 1954), the Chairman of École Polytechnique Board of Directors at the time, and with the support of the Alumni Association, the École Polytechnique Foundation builds bridges between the business world and École Polytechnique, including its students and research professors. The Foundation is a recognized public-benefit organization that works to promote École Polytechnique. This status entitles it to receive gifts and bequests from both individuals and companies. The funds raised are directed to École Polytechnique programs, facilities, students, and research professors.
government-recognized public-interest organization, founded in 1972, the HEC Foundation contributes to the development of strategic academic projects at HEC Paris through the funding of student scholarships, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, social responsibility and international diversity.
Each year, the HEC Foundation supports HEC Paris (up to 7% of the School's operating costs) through the funding of:
- scholarships to all talented students, regardless of their social or geographical backgrounds,
- pedagogical innovation and digital transformation,
- academic excellence and cutting-edge research in management,
- entrepreneurship
Today, the HEC Foundation counts:
- over 2,500 annual donors
- 43 corporate partners
- a team of 12 staff and 80 volunteers
Expert
François Riahi
Chief Executive Officer, Natixis
Francois Riahi is Chief Executive Officer of Natixis, a member of the Management Board of BPCE, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Coface. From 2001 to 2005,...
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About Natixis
Natixis is a French multinational financial services firm specialized in asset & wealth management, corporate & investment banking, insurance and payments. A subsidiary of Groupe BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France through its two retail banking networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne, Natixis counts nearly 16,000 employees across 38 countries. Its clients include corporations, financial institutions, sovereign and supranational organizations, as well as the customers of Groupe BPCE’s networks. Listed on the Paris stock exchange, Natixis has a solid financial base with a CET1 capital under Basel 3(1) of €11.3 billion, a Basel 3 CET1 Ratio(1) of 11.4% and quality long-term ratings (Standard & Poor’s: A+ / Moody’s: A1 / Fitch Ratings: A+).
(1) Based on CRR-CRD4 rules as reported on June 26, 2013, including the Danish compromise - without phase-in
Figures as at 31 March 2020.
