Women, education and leadership

In an ever-changing world, education plays an essential role in shaping the citizens of tomorrow. At Odyssey Education, committed and inspiring women hold management positions and play an active role in this mission. To mark International Women’s Rights Day, we wanted to shine the spotlight on Catherine Lespine, the Group’s CEO, Audren Seguillon, head of school at the Saint-Dominique International Institute in Rome, and Leila Bello, head of school at La Petite Ecole Hanoi.

Beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, what is it that drives them so deeply? To find out, we asked them four questions based on Proust’s famous questionnaire. It’s an exercise that’s both introspective and revealing, giving us a glimpse into the values and inspirations of these three women leaders.

An entrepreneur, pedagogue and passionate about education on an international scale, Catherine Lespine has devoted over 30 years to developing and managing INSEEC U. (Omnès Education), helping to make this group one of the leaders in private higher education in France and abroad. A bold visionary, she was able to drive and manage strong growth by uniting committed teams, while firmly preserving the group’s soul and values.

For the past 4 years, she has been CEO of Odyssey Education, which embodies a demanding and ambitious vision of education, based on a powerful collective committed to students. The objectives are clear: educational innovation, a close-knit educational community and a focused international strategy. As far as Catherine is concerned, there is no such thing as “female management”, but she has always campaigned for a good balance, naturally attentive to parity.

Audren Seguillon’s career has been marked by one constant: education, both in France and abroad. As head of school at the Saint-Dominique International Institute in Rome, she places the development and emancipation of her pupils at the heart of her commitment, convinced that these elements are essential to their success.

For her, education is not just about imparting knowledge, it is also about instilling interpersonal skills and know-how, preparing the younger generations to meet the challenges of tomorrow with confidence and ambition. Audren knows how to unite teams around projects and win their support through example and dialogue.

Leila Bello is a lively, dynamic, multilingual citizen of the world with family roots, with 20 years’ experience in education in various school systems in France and abroad. After a first career in higher education, she chose to devote herself to elementary education, convinced that the first years of learning are decisive in the construction of future citizens of the world.

As Head of School at La Petite Ecole Hanoi, she attaches particular importance to the commitment of the educational community, which she believes is essential to fostering a fulfilling learning environment. Her objective remains unchanged: to promote quality education that has a positive impact on the world.