In the US, business men and women are highly regarded. In France, high-prestige jobs are in the public service sector, and only graduates from a few highly selective Grandes Ecoles have access to them.
A few days ago, I read that Americans don’t care about the educational background of their leaders. If you asked an American where the CEO of his company graduated from, he probably wouldn’t know, shrug, and ask, “Who cares?” This bugged me so much that I decided to research the topic.
What sort of education does it take to climb to the top of America’s largest companies?
In 2016, an article by Money stated that:
Of the 25 colleges that graduated the most CEOs, five are traditional liberal arts colleges, four are in the Ivy League, eight are public universities, and three are colleges known for their elite technology and computer science programs.
I couldn’t find out which specific colleges they were.
An older article in Forbes analyzed the careers of all current Fortune 500 CEOs. Not a single university is mentioned. Instead, the article lays out a step-by-step guide for career choices.
Then, I researched a few prominent names that came to my mind: Bill Gates (Harvard, but dropped out after two years), Tim Apple—sorry, Tim Cook (Duke), Elon Musk (Stanford for a PhD, but also dropped out after two years), Jeff Bezos (Princeton), Warren Buffett (Columbia), Mark Zuckerberg (Harvard, but dropped out). I stopped here. Of course, my research is not representative, but it seems to show a pattern: famous corporate leaders start at Ivy League or other top colleges. Some even drop out.
This information is available, but it doesn’t look like anybody cares. Not surprisingly, dropping out of college is not a big deal in the US, at least if you are successful!
What sort of education does it take to climb to the top of France’s largest companies?
On the other side of the ocean, it is conventional wisdom in France that graduates from “Grandes Ecoles” form the elite of the country. The most prestigious Grandes Ecoles are Normale Sup (forms university professors), Polytechnique (military engineers), and ENA (graduates who chose high-ranking public service positions).
It was also easy to find where France’s top managers graduated from. Aside from foreign-born CEOs, almost all native French business leaders graduated from one of the French Grandes Ecoles.
Wait, what is a Grande Ecole?
Compared to other countries, France has an unusual system of higher education. Everywhere else in the world, the pinnacle of the education system is universities. Not so in France!
Grandes Ecoles have no equivalent in the United States. Their closest comparison would be the Ivy League schools, but only in terms of competitiveness and financial means. They are small institutions and very well funded by the state: although they make only 5% of the students, they get 30% of the national university budget.
Getting into one of them is highly competitive. High-school graduates will attend a preparatory class for one to three years before passing a selective exam. Only the very best get to attend a Grande Ecole! That said, except for business schools, the tuition is almost nothing. In some cases, students are even paid a small salary.
What a difference compared to American colleges!
Why are Grandes Ecoles graduates the elite of the country?
Isn’t it surprising that in a country so preoccupied with equality, the education is so elitist?
As often happens in a country like France, it all goes back to history. Napoleon was born in a modest family but rose rapidly through the ranks of the military during the French revolution. Once he became the leader of the country, he implemented many reforms, some of them regarding education. He believed in a system of merit, which led to a selection-by-elimination system.
At the same time, the century-old monarchy tradition had left traces. Napoleon was not immune to the effects of power, and he crowned himself emperor in 1804! In the French court, the king (or the emperor) was the center of all power; therefore, being physically close to him was synonymous with importance. When the king got up in the morning, his court was already gathered around him. A few privileged courtiers would help him with dressing. Some even paid for the privilege!
Let’s make it short and simple: once the monarchy was abolished, holding a senior public servant position was the only way to stay close to the “pouvoir” or the governing forces of the country.
Consequences for the country
“All countries have Ivy League schools, but the hold of the ENA on top jobs in France is breathtaking,” wrote The Economist in 2012. Not much has changed since that publication. For example, Emmanuel Macron graduated from ENA in 2004.
According to a colleague, “the proportion of French politicians with personal experience [in] private business is incredibly low.” Many others acknowledge that this leads to laws that are difficult to implement. I would say that there is some truth here, as France is well known for its bureaucracy.
To be honest, not only French politicians attend just a couple of select schools. The Bush presidents are Yale graduates, and so is Bill Clinton. Obama graduated from Harvard, and Trump from the University of Pennsylvania. At least when it comes to their presidents, France and the US have something in common.
Old school ties are held for life. In an older post, I shared insight into the value of networking in France. While 73% of Americans say that working hard is essential for success, only 25% of the French support this idea. Instead, 56% of the French consider relationships to be an important asset for advancement, compared to only 35% of Americans.
The Yellow Vest movement is losing speed in France, but many acknowledge that it’s still symptomatic of the disconnection of the nation’s “elite” from everyday reality.
How could it be any different when young French pupils are raised to get the best results at school? When selections are based on excellence in mathematics only? Meritocracy is reserved for a few—the well informed and well connected. For the majority of the French, a Grande Ecole is barely even accessible.
