Bringing Executive Education to Paris
Professors Sarah Brazaitis and Joel Brockner discuss the global expansion of Columbia Business School’s Executive Education offering to Paris and the cross-cultural impact of teaching leadership at the historic Reid Hall.
Joel Brockner is Phillip Hettleman Professor of Business in the management division of Columbia Business School and academic director of Columbia CaseWorks. He is a leading authority on change management, leadership, decision-making, the role of the self, and cross-cultural differences in work behavior. Sarah J. Brazaitis is a professor of practice and M.A. program director at Teachers College. Her scholarly interests include group dynamics and group relations, diversity and inclusion in teams, and high performing teams.
Professors Brockner and Brazaitis taught the program “High Impact Leadership” in December 2025, as part of the Columbia Business School Executive Education programs now offered in Paris at Reid Hall.
What goes into bringing these Columbia Business School Executive Education programs to the Paris context?
Joel: Columbia Business School Executive Education reached out about expanding several programs internationally, including High Impact Leadership. From an Executive Education perspective, it’s a chance to expand the school's reach and thought leadership, especially for high-interest programs, to strategic locations. We aren't the only ones; several executive education programs have gone global.
We taught this program abroad in Dubai for the first time in 2024—in fact, Sarah and I are going back for the third time in two weeks. Now, we have arrived in Paris to give executives another opportunity to access Columbia’s insights in a new and vibrant location.
Sarah: As Joel said, it’s about providing opportunities. For some folks, Paris is geographically easier to get to. Paris is beautiful regardless of your background.
Does the experience of teaching differ across cities?
Sarah: Our first orientation is always the participants. What curriculum do they need based on their seniority, industry, and geography? What issues are their companies facing? That comes first, whether we are in Dubai, Paris, or New York.
It’s about the subtleties—the examples we give and the conversations we’re prepped to have. Joel and I receive the participant list and their companies in advance. Often, they are companies we already know. We have the core framework that we know is impactful for senior leaders, but we bring in specific examples relevant to their industry and geography.
Joel: The core content isn't hugely different. However, we are flexible so as to discuss what participants want to discuss. We go where the "energy" is. Having experience working with senior leaders across geographies helps us pivot with the audience.
How did this teaching collaboration between the two of you begin?
Joel: It started about five to ten years ago with a shorter program called Leadership Essentials. We hit it off and developed a good partnership. We now teach the High Impact Leadership program together, which is currently five days in New York and three and a half days internationally. We’ve worked together dozens of times. Professionally and personally, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Sarah: Joe invited me to co-direct Leadership Essentials and then different sessions in other in-person programs. Then COVID-19 happened. We were asked to record our Leadership Essentials (Online) program for asynchronous delivery and also to deliver synchronous programs online. You develop a bond working under those conditions! It’s been a really rich partnership.
Any final thoughts?
Sarah: To go back a few years—for my undergraduate degree, I went to the University of Pennsylvania and was a French minor. I did a semester in Paris through the NYU program, so I wasn’t based at Reid Hall, but all my Penn friends were. I’ve been back to Paris many times since, but I hadn’t set foot in Reid Hall since I was a student visiting them, but I recognized it immediately.
When I arrived this time to teach, I texted all my friends: "I’m at Reid Hall!"
Joel: We are excited to continue developing our High Impact Leadership program across all locations, building on what has already proven to be a powerful experience for participants. As we expand, our focus remains on delivering consistent excellence while tailoring the learning to reflect local contexts and leadership challenges. This approach allows us to scale impact without losing the depth, rigor, and relevance that define the program—and ensures leaders everywhere are equipped to drive meaningful change in their organizations.