Launch of the first international Global Circular Economy Chair

ESSEC Business School, L’Oréal, EssilorLuxottica and Bouygues jointly launched the first international chair devoted to the circular economy, the ‘Global Circular Economy Chair’. Dedicated to students of ESSEC’s Master in Management program, the chair’s first class is set to graduate in September 2022.

Making the circular economy a priority in value chains with increasing pressure on raw materials, tightening of industry regulations and changing consumer behavior, companies are looking to rethink their business models in a radical way. The circular economy provides a clear and sustainable solution that can reduce global CO2 emissions by 45%.

The Chair aims to train future Chief Circular Economy Officers, to lead organizations towards a circular economy. Apart from leading and creating global strategies for circular transformation,
students will learn how to work in various sectors and organizations, as well as have a positive impact on the entire value chains. The Chair will contribute to the emergence of an open and international ecosystem of companies, start‐ups, think tanks, academic institutions and government bodies that will contribute to the public debate for the introduction of future regulations in Europe and worldwide.

Raising awareness about circular economy, creating concrete case studies while developing
fundamental research – the works of the Chair will focus on launching circular economy experimental projects in close
collaboration with its partners; creating innovative awareness raising tools (MOOCs, e‐books); and producing fundamental research to accelerate the transition from a linear to a circular economy. This will include the definition of new business models, the creation of an observatory of circular economy skills and a reflection on possible links between available data and the circular economy.
A team of circular economy experts, supported by three international companies with strong
sustainability ambitions.


EssilorLuxottica has announced an ambitious approach to sustainable development last July, called
Eyes on the Planet. It features a dedicated “Eyes on Circularity” pillar which illustrates the
Company’s strong commitment to transform its business.


“At EssilorLuxottica, we firmly believe in the power of collaboration. This is why we are honored to be
partnering with highly‐esteemed organizations such as Essec Business School, L’Oréal and Bouygues.
Through EssilorLuxottica’s global sustainability program ‐ ‘Eyes on the Planet’‐ we hope to address the
world’s evolving vision needs and the demand of a growing industry in a responsible and sustainable
way. This partnership will help us advance on ways to research, reduce, reuse and recycle,” said
Francesco Milleri and Paul du Saillant, respectively CEO and Deputy CEO of EssilorLuxottica.

Similar Posts