It is one of the largest headhunting firms in the world. To choose the new director of Sciences Po, the school’s governing bodies have selected the Paris office of American Russell Reynolds. The Institute for Political Studies (IEP), led by Benedict Durand, an interim director since February, is preparing to launch a call for candidates to find a replacement for Frédéric Mione, who has been embroiled in his lies about the Duhamel case. resigned after. The presence of Russell Reynolds should serve as a guarantee for the complicated process of renewal of Science Po’s governing bodies, to say the least.

With its 470 advisors and 46 offices, the firm is one of the top 5 giants in the sector, nicknamed the SHREKs (for Spencer Stuart, Hedrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Egon Zehnder and Korn Ferry). The Paris branch counts Peugeot, Danone and CNP Assurance groups among its clients. The recruiter in charge of the file is a former science PO graduate: Mark de Leritz, who began his career with Lazard and JPMorgan, before spending sixteen years with rival Egon Zander. Russell Reynolds was preferred over two French firms who also auditioned last week. The first is NB Lemercier & Associates, led by Brigitte Lemercier, a former Russell Reynolds well known from the CAC 40, who most recently placed Lucas de Meo at Renault or Catherine MacGregor at Angie.

a failed French expert

The second cabinet is the specialist in higher education, HRM, chaired by Michel Casta Ballero. In recent years, he was notably behind the appointment of Jean-Michel Blancher at Essec, Eric Labaye, former boss of McKinsey France, at the Polytechnique, or, more recently, the coming of Isabel Hualt as president of EM Lyon. . The recruiter nevertheless made a good impression during his hearing. Especially since he knows the school well enough to facilitate the recruitment of the current Digital Director. “He prepared his hearing very well, he intimidated the representatives of the National Foundation for Political Science (FNSP) and the Council of the Institute, who want to take control of Frédéric Mione’s succession at all costs”, mocks one frame. are home.

The two bodies, which oversee the school’s management and training policy respectively, are really at the heart of the hiring process. The “Proposal Committee” responsible for the selection of candidates consists of four members from each of the two structures. FNSP sides: art historian Laurence Bertrand-Dorli, who after weeks of controversy finally replaced Olivier Duhamel as president, Alexandre Mariani, staff representative, Laurence Parisot, former mentor of Medef, and economist Philippe Martin. Council side of the Institute: sociologist Jean Lazarus, president, a relative of his, Simon Cordonier, staff representative, Pascal Eisenberger, English teacher, and student Rafael Zouti, from a House union, Nova.

a complicated process

The FNSP and the Institute Council also appoint four “independent” personalities from outside. The student union UNIF had specifically suggested to appoint a journalist of worldAriane Chemin, a graduate of science Po, at the core of the revelations on the Duhamel case. Needless to say, it was not selected. In contrast, we find well-known figures of the house such as Marion Guillou, a former patron of the Polytechnic. A former member of the FNSP, she was part of the committee responsible for the appointment of Richard Descoing’s successor in 2013. Another comeback: Isabel Hualt, who was already part of the nomination committee in 2018, when Frédéric Mione was renewed. To support them, Benot Roger-Vasselin, the former human resources director of the Publicis and Medif column under Laurence Parisot, and another polytechnician, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon.

Small innovations in the statutes were not provided: the committee was given a synergy responsible for the legal aspects and coordination with Russell Reynolds. This is Antoine Marmier. This magistrate of the Paris Administrative Court was in charge of the mission at the Government’s General Secretariat at the time of Marc Guillaume, who resigned from the FNSP following revelations about his friend Olivier Duhamel. The call for candidates should go on till August 31. Curiously, the selection committee planned to conduct a preliminary screening before sending a list to Russell Reynolds for analysis. The shortlisted candidates will be auditioned in October and the lucky candidates will be selected in the first half of November. However, it has to be dubbed by the government as the appointment of the director is the subject of a decree of the President of the Republic.