From learning to networking: ESA has been training executives and leaders for 30 years

Thirty years ago, ESA launched an MBA and then an Executive MBA, two programs that would help establish its reputation. The first degrees created by the institution in partnership with ESCP, their mission has been to train the executives, leaders, and entrepreneurs Lebanon and the region need. Designed from the outset for professionals already active in the workforce, these programs allow them to strengthen their skills, broaden their perspective and bring new momentum to their careers.

Since then, the program has expanded to form a true ecosystem covering the different stages of a career, with the MBA as its historical foundation. Intended for experienced professionals, the Executive MBA brings together leaders, entrepreneurs, senior managers and C-level profiles. Beyond knowledge, it aims to develop a strategic vision and foster the sharing of experiences. "The ESCP Executive MBA was ranked third worldwide by the Financial Times in 2026," notes Nancy Jabbour Abdelahad, deputy director of the MBA and specialized master's division. "Our students benefit from a double degree and join the ESCP alumni network," she emphasizes. Founded in 1819, ESCP is the oldest business school in the world.

For those who want to take their international experience further, the Global Executive MBA, launched 10 years ago and again in partnership with ESCP, adds a dimension of mobility and international immersion, all while being followed from Beirut. "The teaching staff is mainly from ESCP, whether from Paris, Madrid, Turin, Berlin or London. The instructors, these 'fly-in faculty,' as they're called, use the same approach that they apply on their own campuses. Students can also choose, if they wish, one of ESCP's international seminars in Brussels, Texas, India, Brazil or South Africa," Nancy explains.

Read more

Thirty years of ESA: From a military hospital to an entrepreneurial ecosystem

Learning, but also exchanging experiences

This evolution has also been accompanied by an environment designed for this community of professionals. The MBA Tower, on the ESA campus, brings together workspaces reserved for program participants, a dedicated room and various meeting places, as well as a rooftop just for this community. The idea is to go beyond the traditional framework of teaching to create a space where work, learning, exchanges, and professional development come together. A living and meeting place that helps develop a genuine community spirit — almost like a family.

In the Executive MBA, this collective dimension takes on a special role. The program puts particular emphasis on strategic skills: advancing one's career, refining decision-making abilities, and developing leadership. "What we notice is the evolution of participants between the time they start their MBA and when they finish. Their interpersonal and management skills are much more developed," Nancy, who describes the Executive MBA as a truly transformative experience, says.

The final group project, the International Consulting Project, also allows participants to work for a year on a real strategic issue or alongside a start-up. An experience which, in some cases, can even lead to new business partnerships.

Missed this?

Maxence Duault: We want to go even further in the ESA's regional outreach

Beirut connected to the world

The other distinguishing feature of these programs lies in their international outlook. The partnership with ESCP Business School goes beyond simple academic collaboration: dual degree, international coordination, and scientific direction provided in Beirut by Professor Francesco Venutti, who is also scientific director of the program at ESCP. Participants thus benefit from ESCP's expertise, methods, and network, with the possibility of taking certain classes on its European campuses.

The Singapore seminar, organized by ESA within ESCP's international ecosystem, illustrates this openness. Every year, EMBA students meet international participants there through lectures, company visits and networking events, all while developing their network in Southeast Asia. This choice is explained by Singapore's dynamism, as it has become a major fintech center. "Having ESCP and ESA together makes it possible to build links and synergies that last," Nancy emphasizes.

This international openness is accompanied by academic recognition that has proved long-lasting. Accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) since 2014, the ESA MBA and EMBA have since been reaccredited three times. Today, the institution is the only one in Lebanon to benefit from this accreditation for its MBAs.

Thirty years after launching its first MBA, ESA has built a true ecosystem around its programs, where Lebanese roots, a community of leaders, academic rigor and international openness come together. A model that allows executives and leaders to access, from Beirut, a high-level international academic and human experience, while evolving in an environment designed around their constraints, responsibilities and ambitions.

In partnership with

De l’apprentissage au réseau : 30 ans que l’ESA forme cadres et dirigeants