HEC Montréal and the UN Announce the First Executive Education Partnership in Canada

Announced in New York during Climate Week NYC, this unprecedented partnership between Executive Education HEC Montréal and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) aims to equip leaders to navigate a world shaped by rapid, complex, and interconnected transformations.

This alliance is built on the complementary strengths of two leading centres of expertise. On one side, United Nations University contributes its scientific rigour and deep understanding of major global challenges related to water, the environment, and health. On the other, Executive Education HEC Montréal brings its recognized expertise in executive education and leadership development.

The first initiative stemming from this partnership will be a five-day Certification in Sustainable Leadership designed for senior executives and members of executive leadership teams.

Empowering the Leaders Who Will Shape the Future

For Dominique Anglade, this partnership illustrates the role executive education must play in a context of profound transformation.

“As leaders, we no longer have a choice: our decisions must now incorporate sustainability considerations and the major challenges shaping our world. Sustainable leadership is essential to preparing for the future and making decisions that take into account both the realities of our organizations and their impacts on society and the environment.”

Dominique Anglade
Executive Director, Executive Education HEC Montréal, Professor of Practice 

This partnership reflects the School’s commitment to connecting leaders with world-class knowledge, expertise and perspectives that help make sense of the complex global challenges shaping our future.

An Announcement Supported by One of the World’s Leading Water Experts

The partnership also benefits from the expertise of Kaveh Madani, Director, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and recipient of the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize, one of the most prestigious international distinctions in the field of water.

His research and global leadership have helped advance understanding of water crises, notably by highlighting the importance of governance in their management.

“The major challenges of our time do not occur in isolation. They are deeply interconnected and require decision-makers to make difficult choices, often under conditions of uncertainty. Science can inform these choices, provided it is understood, contextualized, and connected to action. By bringing scientific knowledge closer to leadership development, through our work together with HEC Montreal, we seek to strengthen leaders’ ability to make sound, sustainable decisions that are fit for the pressing challenges of our world.”

Kaveh Madani
Director, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)

A World-Class Learning Experience

As the first tangible outcome of this partnership, the new Certification in Sustainable Leadership will offer executives and organizational leaders an intensive five-day programme focused on the major issues transforming organizations and society.

For participants, this certification represents a unique opportunity to engage with leading experts and distinguished guest speakers. They will deepen their understanding of global challenges through the lens of the latest scientific research and perspectives drawn from a range of disciplines.  

This certification is the first initiative emerging from the partnership. Additional collaborations will follow to further promote knowledge sharing, bridge science and decision-making, and provide leaders with new world-class learning opportunities.

An Alliance with a Promising Future

For Executive Education HEC Montréal, this partnership with a United Nations institution represents an opportunity to strengthen its position as a leading provider of executive education in Québec, across Canada, and internationally.

It demonstrates our commitment to providing leaders with privileged access to the expertise and knowledge shaping our understanding of major global challenges.

Access to world-class specialists offers executives and organizational leaders an exceptional opportunity to enrich their thinking, make informed decisions, and better prepare for the future.