LEORON & HEC Paris Boost GCC Executive Education

LEORON Institute and HEC Paris, Doha Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Executive Education Across the GCC

LEORON Institute has announced a strategic partnership with HEC Paris, one of the world’s most prestigious business schools. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in LEORON’s mission to connect leaders across the GCC with the world’s best learning experiences - and brings an expanded portfolio of globally recognised executive programmes directly to the region.

The first program to launch under this partnership is Leading Through Transformation: Driving Change in an Era of National Ambition - a four-day executive program designed for senior leaders and C-suite executives navigating large-scale organizational change, it draws on the expertise of two resident HEC Paris, Doha professors and concludes with a live Change Management Simulation, leaving participants with a practical framework they can apply immediately within their organizations.

With over 15 years of regional presence and several thousand executives trained across the GCC, HEC Paris, Doha brings both the proximity and the track record to make this growing presence in Saudi Arabia a natural and credible next step.

This launch marks a deliberate strategic shift: rather than requiring Saudi leaders to travel abroad for world-class executive education, LEORON is bringing it to the Kingdom. It is the first public program of this caliber to be delivered on the ground in Saudi Arabia - a direct response to the leadership development demands of Vision 2030 and a signal of both institutions’ long-term commitment to the region.

As organizations across the Middle East navigate rapid transformation - driven by national diversification agendas, shifting workforce dynamics, and the accelerating pace of global change - the demand for executive-level learning that delivers measurable, lasting impact has never been greater.

This partnership brings together two institutions with a shared commitment to that standard, creating a stronger platform for developing leaders and building the organizational capabilities that growth requires.

'HEC Paris, Doha brings exceptional academic excellence and practical leadership expertise that complements LEORON deep understanding of the region’s business landscape. Together, we are delivering executive education that equips leaders to navigate transformation, make better decisions in complex environments, and create lasting organizational impact across the GCC.'

-Lule Bunjaku Karapinar - CEO, GCC Markets and Executive Education, LEORON Institute

'Saudi Arabia is undergoing one of the world’s most ambitious economic and leadership transformations under Vision 2030, creating unprecedented demand for executive education that is both globally recognized and locally relevant. Our partnership with HEC Paris, Doha reflects LEORON long-term commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s leadership agenda by bringing world-class learning experiences closer to Saudi executives and enabling organizations to build the capabilities needed for sustainable growth.'

-Mariana Ignatov - CEO, Saudi Arabia, LEORON Institute

'For today’s leaders, transformation is a continuous leadership discipline. What makes Leading Through Transformation distinctive is its simultaneous focus on the human, strategic and organizational dimensions of change. The program helps leaders understand how to manage complexity, make better decisions under pressure, build resilient teams, and create the conditions for change to take hold across an organization. In a region where ambition is high and the pace of change continuously accelerates; these are essential leadership capabilities.'

-Joshua Kobb - Chief Growth and Impact Officer, HEC Paris Doha

LEORON is one of the few providers in the region capable of supporting organizations across the full talent development lifecycle - from professional qualifications and executive education to digital learning and customized workforce transformation solutions. With over 3,000 programs delivered annually, more than 50,000 professionals trained in 2025 alone, and coverage spanning the GCC, LEORON brings both the scale and the depth required to make this partnership meaningful at an organizational level. The addition of HEC Paris strengthens an already world-class partner network that includes INSEAD, Oxford University, CIPD, ATD and PMI.

Founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HEC Paris brings 145 years of academic excellence and global influence to this collaboration. Ranked 2nd globally for executive education by the Financial Times and consistently placed among the world’s leading business schools, HEC Paris has shaped the careers of executives and the trajectories of organizations on every continent.

Leading Through Transformation is open for enrolment now, with the first cohort running 2-5 November 2026 in Riyadh. In-house delivery options are available for organizations seeking to run the program for a full leadership cohort.