Develop your strategic vision of the company and experience a transforming human adventure with the Executive MBA (EMBA).
Presentation
The emlyon Executive MBA (EMBA) is a transformational program designed for experienced professionals and senior leaders ready to accelerate their careers and earn a globally recognized MBA (Master of business administration) degree.
Offered by a top-ranked international school of business, this EMBA program blends academic rigor with hands-on executive education. Whether you're aiming to drive innovation within your organization, pivot to a new career, or launch a venture, the Executive MBA provides the strategic tools and leadership training to get you there.
Useful informations
Next start: OCTOBER 2025 in Lyon and Paris
2 formats: Part-Time in 20-26 months (3-4 days/month) or Fast-Track in 12 months
- Rankings 2024
- 4th Executive MBA in France (QS Executive MBA)
- 22nd worldwide MBA (QS Executive MBA)
- 12th worldwide carbon footprint (Financial Times)
- 40th worldwide MBA (Financial Times)
Program Director
Goals
Our Executive MBA program helps working professionals enhance their leadership skills, expand their strategic vision, and unlock new career development opportunities.
With a strong emphasis on management development and personal growth, the program is built to convert your years of work experience into measurable leadership impact. You'll gain the mindset and capabilities to lead high-performing teams, manage change, and make strategic decisions with confidence.
- Contribute to the company's strategic vision and take decisions that have a medium/long-term impact;
- Optimising the value chain to maximise the company's performance;
- Measuring and steering the company's performance and organising its governance;
- Steering transformation and supporting strategic agility by adapting the company's leadership posture;
- Building ethical business models in an international and global context.
- In addition, participants choose a specialisation that enables them to apply the skills they have acquired in a specific context.
Program
The EMBA curriculum is built around immersive, hands-on learning experiences. Through global seminars, strategic projects, and innovation workshops, you'll apply what you learn to real-world challenges.
You'll be part of a dynamic, international cohort—giving you access to a powerful global network of peers, faculty, and industry experts. The learning journey emphasizes strategic thinking, leadership agility, and a global perspective on business.
- Identify the main societal, ecological and technological breakthroughs, then mobilise this new knowledge to support strategic decision-making.
- Develop strategic thinking that supports long-term performance.
- Integrate digital issues into the company's strategy in order to develop a differentiating strategy that incorporates innovation and creates value.
- Developing marketing strategies centred on customer value and translating them into an operational plan incorporating the opportunities and threats of digital transformation.
- Manage the implementation of a coherent and effective supply chain strategy, taking into account all the levers involved, including the introduction of innovative technologies.
- Making effective managerial decisions based on an analysis of the company's performance using an understanding of the financial statements for a business unit or organisation manager.
- Use a performance management system to align operational decisions with strategic objectives.
- Manage corporate governance and integrate non-compliance analysis into strategic and operational decisions.
- Mobilising collective performance to effectively manage transformation within an organisation.
- Strengthen your leadership skills to meet individual and collective challenges responsibly and sustainably.
- Developing creativity to build original business models in line with ethical criteria.
- Be able to evaluate the CSR dimension in your company and in your management practices.
- Be able to succeed in different ecosystems around the world.
Option 1: Entrepreneurship
- Applying the mechanisms of the entrepreneurial process to the creation of a new business: identifying the key success factors of a project, building a value proposition and a business model.
Option 2: SME managers
- Building a development and transformation strategy, while mastering the challenges in terms of financing and governance.
- Guarantee the company's long-term viability and development by mobilising collaborative dynamics within the ecosystem in which it operates, in an open and agile manner.
Option 3: Corporate Executive
- Take account of the different strategies and internal processes used by major international companies to create value and manage risk.
- Be able to manage the complex relationships with stakeholders internally and within the wider ecosystem of multinational companies.
- Develop interpersonal skills to extend influence and build high-performance local or global teams.
Option 4: Corporate Intrapreneurship
- Implement the mechanisms of the innovation process within an existing company: identify the key success factors of a project, build a value proposition and a business model or organisational set-up.
Key figures
- Net promoter score: 55
- Participant satisfaction (course): 4.7/5
- Success rate: 96% (February 2024 jury)
- Number of Executive MBA participants in year 2 in 2023-24: 95
Key points
- Ranked among the top Executive MBA programs in Europe
- Modular format tailored for working professionals
- Delivered by a leading school of business with global recognition
- Action-based learning to develop the skills of ‘Early Makers’, combining action and rapid iteration thinking. Through individual and group projects, participants learn to develop a posture that can be applied to all fields, which consists of constantly introducing new ideas, questioning received wisdom and taking action. Early Makers become more than entrepreneurs. They are capable of creating new sources of value in their environment.
- Streamlined application process with dedicated support
Profiles
Requirements
- 7 years' professional experience
- Bac +4 or equivalent. Possibility of Validation of Professional Experience for people who do not have this level of diploma.
For Who ?
Assessment methods
Throughout the program, participants are assessed through real-world projects, group work, and applied case studies. This practical, outcome-driven approach ensures that you gain not only academic knowledge but also transferable skills that make a difference from day one.
Our focus on learning-by-doing helps you apply strategic frameworks and leadership tools directly to your professional environment.
- Group work on the case of a client company. Application of the methodology to a chosen business sector (individual work).
- Online activities (quizzes, case analyses). Strategic analysis of the activity of a chosen company.
- Group case study: presentation of an approach incorporating a new business model. Individual online exam.
- Group project: market study and proposal of a marketing strategy for a new value proposition. individual work.
- Group case study: global approach integrating the changes linked to digital technology. Defence of the case analysis. individual work.
- Group presentation of a financial analysis of a business case. Individual examination.
- Analysis of a system for measuring the performance of an organisation or a business unit (in groups).
- Case study: analysis of governance and its impact on decision-making processes.
- Case study: based on a chosen case of change, actions to be implemented to roll it out successfully.
- Reflective analysis of your leadership position and your ability to mobilise teams.
- Suggested courses of action adapted to the professional context.
- Based on a real case, use of creativity techniques to propose activities and practices that meet environmental, social, technological and ethical criteria.
- Online tests on the key concepts of CSR and sustainable development, written report on CSR issues in a given sector.
- Written report on the specificities of national contexts and the paths to follow to succeed on an international scale.
- The candidate proposes a business model based on an idea for a new service/product and the arguments to be put forward to key players.
- The candidate analyses a strategic issue for an SME and presents his/her recommendations.
- The candidate analyses the strategic issues facing a large company and presents his/her recommendations.
- The candidate proposes a business model based on an idea for a new service/product and the arguments to be put forward to key players within an existing entity. OR The candidate proposes an organisational system to generate and support a multi-project intrapreneurial dynamic within an existing company.
The professorial staff
My research focuses on the anticipation and strategy of organisations in the Anthropocene. I am also exploring the mechanisms by which companies can take part in the design of ‘habitable’ worlds.
Her work and research focuses on the new generations as a lever for business transformation, leadership as a vector for innovation and a mobiliser of collective intelligence, the art of supporting individual and collective change, psychological violence and over-commitment, talent identification and management, coaching and supervision, etc.
Her research focuses on the influence of perceptions of fairness and exemplarity on employee cooperation in situations of major change. She has published several articles in international academic journals. She works with a number of companies on the issue of managerial relations and the human dimension of change management.
FAQ – emlyon Executive MBA
The Executive MBA at emlyon business school is a 12 to 26-month program designed for experienced professionals and senior leaders aiming to enhance their strategic leadership and accelerate their careers. Delivered in a flexible modular format, it combines academic excellence with real-world application, focusing on leadership, innovation, and global business strategy.
The emlyon Executive MBA is tailored for working professionals with at least 7 years of experience. Unlike traditional full-time MBAs, our program allows you to continue working while studying. It emphasizes career development, personalized coaching, and executive-level decision-making — with formats adapted to busy professional lives.
Choosing emlyon’s Executive MBA means accessing a top-tier education designed to create measurable business impact. You'll build leadership skills, gain exposure to international markets, grow your global network, and benefit from personalized career coaching. Real-life consulting projects and entrepreneurship-focused modules ensure direct application to your business context.
The Executive MBA at emlyon runs over 12 to 26 months, with monthly in-person modules (Thursday to Saturday), plus intensive learning weeks and international seminars. The program is built to accommodate full-time work and allow for an effective balance between learning, work, and personal commitments.
emlyon is a triple-accredited international business school, consistently ranked among Europe’s top institutions. Known for its entrepreneurial DNA and innovation-driven pedagogy, emlyon delivers an EMBA experience that blends academic excellence, business relevance, and global perspective — all within a highly supportive ecosystem.
The tuition fee for the emlyon Executive MBA is €45,000, covering all courses, materials, personalized coaching, and international learning expeditions. Several funding options exist, including company sponsorship, public funding, and flexible payment plans.
The EMBA application process includes an online application, an updated résumé, a personal statement, and two professional references. Selected candidates are invited to a one-on-one interview. Our admissions team provides dedicated guidance throughout the process to ensure alignment and program fit.
The program is designed to strengthen your strategic thinking, leadership, financial acumen, change management, and communication skills. Through international projects, business simulations, and coaching, you’ll develop the mindset and confidence needed to lead transformation in complex, global environments.
Absolutely. The modular format of the emlyon Executive MBA is designed for busy professionals. With monthly on-campus sessions and flexible learning components, you can balance the program with your existing responsibilities and immediately apply what you learn in your workplace.
Yes. The program offers a strong global dimension, including international seminars and learning expeditions to key economic hubs. You'll collaborate with a diverse, international cohort and explore global business challenges firsthand — expanding both your global mindset and your professional network.
Disability initiative
You will find the welcome guide and all the information on how we welcome and support our students and participants with disabilities here (link: https://em-lyon.com/en/about-emlyon-business-school/student-experience/…).