Empowering Female Leaders at EDHEC and Beyond: EDHEC Business School’s 2024 Forté Fellows
EDHEC Business School's partnership with the Forté Foundation demonstrates its commitment to empowering women in business. Meet Forté Fellows Véronique Band and Hoa Le, two accomplished leaders and professionals advancing their careers through EDHEC Executive Education’s Executive MBA and Global MBA programmes, respectively, as well as Forté's resources for leadership, diversity, and global impact.
Empowering Female Leaders at EDHEC and Beyond: Meet EDHEC's 2024 Forté Foundation Fellows
Earlier this year, EDHEC Business School announced its partnership with the Forté Foundation, joining a group of over 200 companies and educational institutions committed to advancing women in business. As part of that partnership, two EDHEC MBA participants have been named as the institution’s first-ever Forté Fellows, an accolade that earns immediate recognition in the business school community and beyond. Fellows are known for their exemplary leadership, diverse backgrounds, and dedication to advancing women in business—all values that align closely with both EDHEC and Forté's missions.
Executive MBA participant Véronique Band of France and full-time Global MBA participant Hoa Le of Vietnam are the first EDHEC students to receive this prestigious fellowship. Both have impressive professional backgrounds, diverse global experiences, and inspiring career goals.
Forté Fellowships are offered to support high-achieving female participants who embody leadership potential and a commitment to advancing both their own careers as much as the women around them. Since its inception, the Foundation has granted more than $400 million to women MBA students, which has contributed to a 48% increase in women’s enrollment at Forté partner MBA schools since 2001.
EDHEC Business School stands out among those schools as one of the few Forté Foundation partner academic institutions that offer the award to Executive MBA students in addition to their full-time MBA programme awards.
Véronique Band, EDHEC EMBA: from legal leadership to global impact
Véronique Band has built a dynamic and international career as a business lawyer, specialising in complex regulatory environments and corporate legal matters. With a strong academic background in intellectual property and European law from Panthéon-Assas University, complemented by an LL.M. in German Law from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, she has developed robust expertise across industries ranging from energy and construction to healthcare and technology. Her early career sharpened her skills in litigation, contract management, and cross-border legal frameworks, paving the way for her transition into leadership roles.
As Head of Legal for Europe at WeightWatchers, Véronique oversees compliance and legal operations in seven countries, addressing critical areas such as health data, GDPR, and consumer protection. She manages complex pan-European projects, notably including compliance with health and food regulations.
Fluent in French, English, and German, Véronique’s career is a testament to her adaptability and cross-border expertise, traits she aims to further enhance through the EDHEC Executive MBA.
Hoa Le, Global MBA: Bridging European and Emerging Markets in Finance
Hoa Le, from Vietnam, is an accomplished investment professional driven by a mission to connect European markets with emerging economies, particularly in her home country. After earning her B.A. in Economics from Colorado State University in the United States, Hoa has worked across various financial roles that have equipped her with a broad understanding of global markets.
Early in her career, she developed a quantitative model at the An Binh Fund Management Company that significantly improved the firm’s investment review process. Her contribution to the company’s bond fund led to rapid growth, positioning it as one of the Vietnamese market's most successful funds.
At EDHEC, she is excited to enhance her strategic thinking, expand her network, and gain the expertise needed to continue bridging European and emerging markets. She has embraced EDHEC’s diverse Global MBA experience by engaging in finance and leadership courses and actively participating in the Finance Club.
Her long-term goal is to facilitate investment flows between Europe and Asia, fostering economic growth in Southeast Asia.
A shared vision for women's success in global business
The Forté Foundation’s commitment to supporting women on meaningful career paths blends easily with EDHEC’s goals of cultivating diverse, talented leaders equipped to meet the demands of a globalised business world. As EDHEC MBA participants and Forté Fellows, Véronique and Hoa Le are examples of the leadership and vision that help women “claim seat at the table” globally, in the words of the Foundation.
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