In Memoriam - Dominique Héau

"I remember Dominique as an exceedingly generous person. I arrived at INSEAD as a young researcher, having no clue what it took to be a teacher. I was fortunate to learn from the best. He spent countless hours on the terrace of his home helping me out how to teach MBA students and executives, in the process sharing his very organized and detailed notes, as well as his jokes. It was not possible to duplicate his teaching skill as he combined intelligence, business knowledge, passion, dedication, charm and the art of debate like no one else.

Dominique was also always ready to challenge received wisdom, turn ideas, teaching plans and programs upside down, and to share his vast experience with his legendary enthusiasm and hair-raising voice. He was also always ready to start new initiatives for the school and pursue them with spontaneity, dedication and wisdom. He was a tremendous inspiration to me and to the school.

Dominique was also very generous personally, happily sharing his house and excellent wine cellar he had built with the same passion and enthusiasm. He also was a great father who wanted the best for his children, and was loved by them. His energy, love, passion and intelligence live on in his children. I was very lucky to become close to Alexandre and Héloise who sparkle like he did. He leaves an enormous void, but also a wealth of good memories."

Karel Cool, INSEAD Professor of Strategic Management

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"Dominique was a friend of over forty years, I miss him dearly. Dominique was always of immense help, with supportive suggestions (back in the early 70s: "Get a doctorate, go to Harvard, work with Joe Bower") and friendly criticism ("What's really original about your book? Make sure it stands out more"). His generosity and warmth as a human being, and probing and sharp critical mind made for a wonderful combination. He was precious to have as a friend, as a colleague. The little I know about teaching, I learned mostly from him. He was a great mentor. When I first joined INSEAD he coached me with infinite care and patience, sometimes late in the evening the night before we taught a case. I owe him all the pleasure becoming a successful academic brought me over decades!

Dominique also cared deeply about INSEAD, making it a strong and demanding school, but also a warm and friendly environment for academic pursuits. He gave without counting, to teaching, to mentoring, to stimulating research, to caring with extreme generosity, to fostering excellence in students, and in colleagues and rejoicing in their success. We collectively owe him a lot."

Yves Doz, INSEAD Emeritus Professor of Strategic Management

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"Coming to INSEAD in 1975 when the school was as yet in its infancy, without any knowledge of French (either the language or the culture), Dominique was a life saver and ultimately a very close friend. It was a heady time for us, a very young faculty of roughly the same age and experience, trying to create an international business school at a time when the idea was a novelty and introducing executive programs in a Europe largely unaware of the idea and in any case looking to the big named schools in the US and not at us rookies.

Dominique was at the center of the efforts to create such a school. Generous to a fault with his time, knowledge, and contacts, his helping hand to a large number of faculty members from those early days is attested to in the paragraphs written by those very faculty members today - Philippe and Philippe, Jonathan, Paul, Michael and many others who should have written.

I am saddened that institutions do not make the time to offer their thanks to such pillars during their lifetime, I am saddened that such intelligence was not better used, I am saddened that I have lost a dear and old friend."

Ahmet Aykac, Professor of Economics 1975 - 1985

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"Cher Dominique,
Je remercie ta famille de nous accorder, Martine et moi, la chance de t’accompagner de quelques mots sur ton grand voyage.
Tu as toujours été mon plus genereux ami.
Pilier de l’INSEAD et du Cedep des premiers jours, tu m’as pris par la main à mon arrivée en 1979, pour faire de moi un enseignant, comme tu as après fait avec pleins d’autres jeunes recrus.
Tu etais le pedagogue par excellence, muni d’une grande rigueur intellectuelle, une écriture de rêve et un sens de la dialectique qui delectais tes étudiants.
Je me souviendrai toujours des nuit passées à préparer des nouveaux cas, des journées passées à la Mainferme à corriger les examens, des multiples programmes à l’INSEAD ou partout dans le monde où l’on se complétait tellement que l’un pouvait continuer le cours où l'autre l'avait laché.
Notre fille Sophie notait dans sa lettre pour nous consoler que tu etais plein de merveilleuses contradictions. En effet, un grand bourgeois d’Orleans, qui conduisait une Ferrari jaune canari, un prof de business qui apprenait à chanter « Adelante pueblo de cuba por il triumfo del socialismo y lucha contra el capitalismo », ce qui d’ailleurs lui valait un A à l’école de Fontainebleau où la maîtresse était communiste. Tu etais tout ça et beaucoup plus encore, sur le plan professionnel, familial et amical. Ta vie a été pleine, et comme tu disais, sans regrets.
Tu as souffert la fin de cette vie avec une acceptation et une dignité hors du commun, avec même dans les derniers jours, un intérêt dans l'autre. Tu étais à juste titre fier de ce que sont devenus tes enfants, tous tes enfants - qui font pour nous parti de cette grande famille dans laquelle on se sentait bien a l’INSEAD et qui pourront toujours compter sur nous.

Dear Dominique you have been a wonderful friend and colleague for both of us. I would like to add your modesty: I remember when you were offered to take up the ABNAMRO chair that you called me a few hours before the ceremony because you felt you could not accept the chair because you had doubts about your capacity to deliver. Your sense of humor also typified you so well: when we added a double garage to our house in Fontainebleau you said you were disappointed in us because we were so 'middle class'!
Dominique, you were larger than life: there is a beautiful saying that says that when a person passes away you lose the person but not the relationship: I am sure that all of us present here will cherish and carry their relationship with you forever in their hearts."

Philippe Haspeslagh, Dean of Vlerick Business School and Martine Van den Poel, Coaching Practice Director, INSEAD Global Leadership Centre
(text spoken at Dominique’s funeral on july 24th)

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"Dominique was my mentor when I joined INSEAD in 1975. Both of us had an office at CEDEP where we were emulating each other in the management of our respective cycles. When in 1976 I joined the Business Policy area (the ancestor of the Strategy area) Dominique helped me in the preparation of classes thanks to his fantastic hand written teaching notes and his artistic blackboard organization in the amphi. He became a friend and frequently visited my family on his motorbike. During my Asian period we lost sight of each other without losing our friendship. I remember the day when in Singapore I received a call from Dominique asking me if I could join him in Beijing to assist him in the negotiation with Tsinghua University for the joint Executive MBA.
Recently both of us were Emeritus and we shared the same office in the East wing. At the beginning of his illness I replaced him at the Solskovo University in Moscow and I followed with anguish the evolution of his declining health. I will never forget the way he always said hello to me with “Salut beau gosse !”, Ah Dominique!"

Philippe Lasserre, INSEAD Emeritus Professor of Strategy

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"Dominique had a tremendous influence on my approach to teaching. During my PhD I asked him if I could follow his MBA course, which he warmly accepted. It was a great learning journey! He was truly a master in the classroom, using his sharpness and endless energy to make students develop new ways to see the most relevant issues in business. And all seemed effortless: he was fun, charming and genuine in the classroom – exactly the same Dominique we knew and admired so much outside classroom. He loved what he did, and he brought that passion to everything he did."

Paulo Prochno, PhD ’02

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"It is difficult to look at Dominique's picture, and to think he is no longer with us. I can still hear his very loud voice a few corridors away, and his peels of laughter, followed by a fulsome and also audible slap on the back of whoever. I would like to recall to those who knew Dominique in his more portly format that we was a very fast runner, not just short, but long distance. Dominique was a big man, with strongly held views. Generous is the word that comes to mind, but generous always in expansive ways. He famously bought a Ferrari, which he drove fast from his house in Rue de France to INSEAD, and back. Eventually, on reflection, he came to the conclusion that perhaps there were cheaper forms of travel to and from work. He was a devoted INSEAD patriot, and was in from the beginning in 1979 of INSEAD's rapid rise as a prime provider of executive training, and was in charge of the AMP when, in 1999, INSEAD came top in the FT rankings for executive training, ahead of the best of the best. Twenty years from start to trophy was quite an accomplishment, and much of it due to Dominique's untiring efforts. But I would say that Dominique's greatest contribution to INSEAD was always to chose excellence in those who joined the faculty, and now run our institute. He was not just a pillar of INSEAD. Dominique was one of its architects."

Jonathan Story, INSEAD Emeritus Professor of International Political Economy

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"The care that you took when helping me, a rookie at the time, to be the best I could be when teaching for the first time in one of your senior executive programs – it blew my mind. Your warmth, kindness, and energy will be missed, Dominique."

Henrik Bresman, INSEAD Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour

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"Professor Dominique was always inspiring, energetic and fun. He engaged with students and challenged, challenged, challenged, with his kind smile and charm. Professor Dominique taught me strategy, that I really love and working in now. I have been using his lecture frameworks at work even recently! Thank you, Professor Dominique, may you rest in piece. Dear professor Dominique's family, please accept my deepest condolences."

Olesya Struk, MBA'07J

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"Dominique was larger than life, the sort of man you can't help but admire, even when he is poking fun at you. His laugh was contagious and his sense of humour delightful. Driving with him was an experience I'll particularly never forget- you understood why he taught strategy when you watched him scan the road for gaps (market opportunities) and then execute the most efficient market entries I have ever seen (millimetres, not inches). He taught me much about what it meant to be a "Professor" and not just an "Academic", and he taught me much about what makes Insead such a special place. I will miss him."

Charles Galunic, INSEAD Professor of Organisational Behaviour

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"In September 1979 when I began my MBA Dominique Héau was to me the embodiment of what INSEAD was all about. Fast talking, always with that strong French accent despite his Harvard background, full of energy, he was a dynamic teacher. His use of the blackboard or overheads was entertaining as well as instructive: how often the great white shark appeared to gobble up those with a defective strategy!

He took us on, one at a time, grilling us and challenging our views, but there was always a kindly word at the end of the session after we had been intellectually dismantled. I am very grateful for his huge contribution to my development. A big man in every sense of the word, he will be much missed."

Ian Walsh, MBA'79

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" “Young man”, boomed the stentorian voice that seemed to originate somewhere deep within him, “I want to talk to you”. And thus began a relationship with someone who was a colleague, and soon became mentor and friend. He was intensely curious – the fact that I had a different background to his, professionally, was of great interest. “How would a consultant look at this problem”, he would ask, “what case would you use to show this?” And this was someone who was teaching cases long before me. Someone who had directed the Advanced Management Programme long before me but was deeply, genuinely, curious to see how I might look at it.

Dominique always had time for a colleague, he helped me integrate into the department, gave me a sense of history while strongly encouraging me and everyone else to find their own present and future. In so many ways his unique and unmistakable presence, was an integral part of the department.
“Young man” … I will miss that voice. I will miss him."

Narayan Pant, INSEAD Professor of Management Practice

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"To Dominique's Family,

My deepest condolences for the loss of Dominique. Despite my relatively few years at INSEAD and mostly in Singapore, I feel much struck by Dominique's passion; an abundance of passion is what remains with me, be it during a meeting, providing a word of advice or sharing a humorous moment. That shall be a guiding light going forward."

James Constantini, INSEAD Affiliate Professor of Strategy

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"Dominique was special. Loud. Funny. Energetic beyond belief. A classroom legend. Would light up any encounter, whether a social gathering, a faculty retreat, or a formal area meeting. I feel fortunate to have known him. I could listen to his stories about the pioneering early days of the school for hours and hours. I miss him."

Gabriel Szulanski, INSEAD Professor of Strategy

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"You were a man of passion and empathy. Your presence and engaging conversations will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family."

Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne, INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy

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"Dominique was a really jolly and kind colleague, and was always very engaged in all aspects of INSEAD life. We will all miss him very much."

Jasjit Singh, INSEAD Associate Professor of Strategy

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"Dominique had teaching and executive education in his bloodstream, living it and breathing it – alas sometimes at the expense of his health. From the day I joined INSEAD his infectious enthusiasm spilled over contagiously to us all, helping enormously to create the culture that built INSEAD into the institution that it is today. We miss greatly his booming voice in the corridors, his searching almost philosophical insights into education, and his friendship."

Paul Evans, INSEAD Professor of Organisational Behaviour

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"Dominique leaves an enormous legacy of contribution to INSEAD and generosity to his colleagues. I never ceased to learn from him. A couple of months after joining INSEAD, Dominique spent hours helping me prepare cases for the core course. He then invited me to work with him in my first programme direction. He brought me into the EMBA from its launch, and I was so pleased to be able to follow in his (large) footprints when directing the programme at a later stage. He was also a true ambassador of INSEAD and its values. His personal commitment helped INSEAD develop and grow important international partnerships. His loud voice and sunny personality will be missed here in the strategy corridor in Fontainebleau, but also in the classrooms in Belo Horizonte and Beijing, and by our alumni worldwide who shared his passion for strategy and were inspired by his teaching."

Javier Gimeno, INSEAD Professor of Strategy

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"Insanely generous, incredibly intelligent, boldly honest, and mentoringly caring. This was the Dominique I and many many of us were fortunate to know, learn from, and laugh with.

Dominique's generosity was precious: he'd give of his precious time, his precious knowledge, his precious energy, his friends and contacts, not to mention material things like precious wine, cars, house,... He was insanely generous - a big giver; a servant leader.

Dominique was intelligent in the way of a philosopher. His was a caring intelligence that probed and pushed ideas unpretentiously so they could become better sharper and more true. His grasp of history, knowledge of the real world, logical mind, and abiding respect for useful theory and ideas (and healthy disrespect for pedantism) made him a formidable and caring sparring partner. God knows many INSEAD colleagues owe him a deep intellectual debt.

Dominique was boldly honest. Especially when it mattered he did not pull his punches. He was unafraid to speak his mind, to respectfully disagree, and call out the proverbial elephant in the room. In Hirschmanian terms, his preference was voice and loyalty, rarely exit. His was the dissent that often clarified the link among goals, values, norms, and conduct.

Dominique was a tremendous mentor to a generation of his junior colleagues. He cared. His friendship and guidance was warm, open, non-hierarchical, developmental. Whether it was teaching or research or some other important matter (e.g. wine) Dominique would make the time, listen, ask, share, and ultimately help you grow. He had great empathy. He was a teachers' teacher. He made me feel special and my work important.

Some people care about nothing, most care about themselves, some care about ideas, and a very very few care about other people. Dominique was among those precious few. His pathos has touched us; his logos has taught us; his ethos has shaped us and INSEAD."

Subramanian Rangan, INSEAD Professor of Strategy and Management

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"There was something magical about the INSEAD strategy group when I joined as a young economist. There was a real world sophistication and a passion for debate and ideas, and Dominique as much as anyone personified that spirit and energy. I was privileged to be paired with him when I first taught core strategy.

Over untold hours of Dominique’s coaching, I learned immense amounts from his clarity of thought, his passion for strategy, and his craftsmanship in preparing case discussions. He was instrumental in my transformation into a true strategy professor and his larger-than-life presence was an important part of my early and deep attachment to the school."

Peter Zemsky, INSEAD Professor of Strategy

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"Dominique was such an institution at INSEAD. He was my office neighbor in the East Wing building in Fontainebleau for many years and one of the faculty who helped me understand better what INSEAD really meant. Working with him was a pleasure and I always admired his energy and passion in everything he did. He will be missed at INSEAD."

Antonio Fatas, INSEAD Professor of Economics

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"Dominique has an unbounded passion for teaching Strategy, and shares his knowledge and pedagogical skills generously with less experienced colleagues. Armed with great wit and humor, he never ceases to surprise and delight people around him. Under his cutting wit, he is a kind person who cares enormously about the development of colleagues and the welfare of INSEAD as an institution. Witty, generous, kind, he will be hard to replace."

Quy Huy, INSEAD Associate Professor of Strategy

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"Energy, passion, charisma - yes. But also so very, very generous - and funny. The academic year is underway - I cannot hear his voice, that voice. Only in my head. I miss him so."

Alison James, INSEAD Associate Director Research and Administration

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"I was professor Dominique's student of strategy in MBA 2011J class. He was one of the most amazing and passionate teachers I had at INSEAD. He left a lasting impact on my mind and my thought process. May he rest in peace."

Ahmad Sardar, MBA'11J

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"Dominique was one of the pillars, upon which INSEAD stands and continues to grow. He was instrumental in many of INSEAD's important initiatives. He not only loved INSEAD, he also loved life. In both, he was truly inspirational to his younger colleagues whom he helped learn the ropes at INSEAD. His humor, his passion, his drive, his generosity will always be missed."

Klaus Wertenbroch, INSEAD Professor of Marketing

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"Dominique was quite simply full of life - he had it in overabundance and he shared it generously. That is why I miss him."

Douglas H. Frank, INSEAD Assistant Professor of Strategy

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"Upon arrival in this strange land called INSEAD, one of the first faculty I encountered outside the recruitment process was Dominique Héau (“Call me Dominick!) He came to extend a warm welcome with a question whether I could fill in on one of the many programs he was leading and teaching in simultaneously. He said, “We’ll start by teaching the Dansk Design Case together.” Despite my pleas that I didn’t know the case nor what the group was like, he insisted. “I’ll take care of you!” And he did. And he continued to help me figure out this strange place while always available to step in for a sick or ailing colleague. And over time, as his Challenge of the 80’s evolved into the Challenge of the 90’s and durably became the Challenge of the new century with relatively little change, but always the impressive presentation and strong positive response. His “soft voice” was of a magnitude that he could teach in two Amphis at the same time (even if the doors were closed.) Dominique’s joy of teaching and his passion for INSEAD were endless and highly infectious. Despite a variety of issues in his private life, his joie de vivre and humor never seemed to disappear when he entered INSEAD. Perhaps, my only regret is that the recognition he is receiving now should have been well advanced so that he could appreciate and enjoy it."

Michael Brimm, INSEAD Emeritus Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management

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"When I think of Dominique, three things come to mind: his booming voice, his generosity and his passion for INSEAD. I had the good fortune to have my office next to Dominique’s for a while, and the walls between our offices were not sufficiently sound-proofed to prevent me from hearing his booming voice as he engaged a visitor in his office or someone on the phone about something or other. And once in a while Dominique would drop by my office and recount one of his many stories about his classes or his life or his time as young man in Montreal. I envied Dominique’s voice...Dominique was also so generous with his time, counsel and friendship to me as a ‘rookie’ to the academic world, always willing to share the tricks of the trade that made him so successful in class. But the thing that stood out in the end for me was Dominique’s fierce passion for INSEAD and determination to make sure that the culture of the institution that he so loved would not be diluted with the passage of time. By his actions, behavior, dreams and aspirations, constant presence, and involvement in just about anything that anyone can do to move INSEAD forward, Dominique was a towering figure in making INSEAD what it is today.

When Dominique taught in programs that I directed, I always introduced him to the class as one of INSEAD’s key builders. We all owe him for that..."

Fares Boulos, INSEAD Affiliated Professor of Practice in Strategy

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"Super sympathique! I remember being in a quandary as to whether I should stay on at INSEAD for Spring Break for some extra studies for one of his classes, I believe it was Operations Research, or go on Spring Break, and he asked me where I planned to go. I stated Sevilla in Spain. He said characteristically in French: “Ah Sevilla et les jolies filles de cette ville! You should definitely go to Sevilla and come back and finish your studies when in class!” What a wonderful personality and how thoughtful he was of his students. I recall he invited us all over to his home for a "cocktail" and was generous in listening to our interests and concerns and supplying great food and drink. Always an outgoing pleasant disposition with genuine animation and interest in his students."

Randolph Linehan, MBA'74

The many spontaneous tributes from his colleagues, friends and students demonstrate how much Dominique was loved and respected. A number of his colleagues asked for further details on how their donations could help to perpetuate Dominique’s memory. 

Aligned with Dominique’s unique commitment to INSEAD and our teaching excellence, all donations were used towards the following two naming opportunities:

The Dominique Héau Award for Pedagogical Innovation and Mentoring.  This honorary award is conferred on an annual basis to faculty members who have made a significant impact in pedagogical innovation and mentoring. Selected by a special faculty committee, the laureates help to strengthen and inspire the tradition of mentoring and teaching excellence, exemplified by Dominique.  The awards equally serve to complement the work carried out by the Initiative for Learning Innovation and Teaching Excellence (iLITE) dedicated to enhance the areas that are central to the school’s excellence.

The Dominique Héau Meeting Room.  Dominique’s office was situated for many years in the East Wing of the Fontainebleau campus. This is the building where Dominique held countless meetings, exchanges and debates with his colleagues from Strategy and other departments.  Your gifts have helped us to name the meeting room currently known as EW2 in this building, as the Dominique Héau Meeting Room.  Dominique’s photo and a plaque has been installed, keeping his memory alive as faculty, students and staff continue to gather there.