Landmark contribution strengthens INSEAD’s commitment to bridging human connections, fostering sustainability, and advancing excellence on the Fontainebleau Campus.
INSEAD, the Business School for the World, announces a €20M donation from the Octapharma Foundation, made possible through the generosity of Wolfgang Marguerre MBA’72, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Octapharma. This transformative donation, the third largest alumni gift in the school’s history so far, marks a pivotal early step in the decade-long Europe Campus Re-imagination project, launched in 2023.
“I am deeply grateful to Wolfgang Marguerre and the Octapharma Foundation for their exceptional generosity,” said Francisco Veloso, Dean of INSEAD. “This gift is pivotal to our Europe Campus Re-imagination project, which is dedicated to fostering connections between people, promoting sustainability, and transforming the learning experience. It strengthens our mission of bringing together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society."
The Europe Campus Re-imagination is an ambitious project to elevate our learning environment and promote collaboration and academic excellence, integrating best-in-class digital innovations and leveraging our unique setting. Currently in Phase One, this six-part transformation will create spaces that inspire reflection and connection. The project integrates environmentally conscious practices, harmonizing modernity with the natural beauty of the Fontainebleau Forest.
Reflecting on the gift, Wolfgang Marguerre shared: “My time at INSEAD fundamentally shaped the way I built Octapharma, and supporting the school has always come naturally to me. When the Dean shared the vision for reimagining our campus, I thought of a concert hall and music, my passion. Just as a world-class concert hall inspires artists to perform at their best, a vibrant and modern campus inspires academic excellence and transformative learning experiences. I am delighted we can help INSEAD shape its future through the Octapharma Foundation.”
In recognition of this transformative donation, INSEAD will rename the Plessis Mornay building, embedding Wolfgang Marguerre’s legacy and Octapharma’s impact into the fabric of the school.
The Octapharma Foundation’s donation follows other significant gifts to the project. Early donors include Christoph Rubeli MBA’92D, Paul Desmarais Jr MBA’79, and David Suddens MBA’78.
Wolfgang Marguerre’s longstanding support for INSEAD testifies to his deep belief in the virtue of education, search for excellence and philanthropy. In 2017, he established the Octapharma Scholarship to attract, support and grow business talent. In 2019, he endowed the Octapharma Chair in Decision Neuroscience, growing INSEAD’s ability to attract and retain excellent faculty.
Beyond his dedication to business, Wolfgang Marguerre is an engaged philanthropist for education, music, and cultural initiatives, namely for his hometown of Heidelberg, Germany.
About the Europe Campus Re-imagination Project
- Start date: master plan approved Jun 2022, design of Phase 1 commenced in Spring 2023.
- End date of Phase 1: Q3 2026
- Phases: six phases over ~10 years
- Focus Areas :
o Additional state-of-the-art teaching facilities to accommodate INSEAD's growth.
o Sustainable development to achieve INSEAD's ambitious goals.
o Memorable social spaces and enhanced services.
o An innovative, future-proofed campus with improved phygital integration (physical/digital).
o A vibrant intellectual environment (VIE) for our faculty, staff, and students.
o A resource for both body and mind, with an enhanced connection to the forest, leveraging our campus's exceptional location.
- Link to the press release that presents the project.
