Simon Mercado is Executive Vice President (Business & External Relations) at ESCP Business School and serves simultaneously as Group Dean for Executive Education and Business Solutions.
Professor Mercado leads the School's relations with the business community with charge of the School's corporate partnerships & activities across its six European locations. This includes responsibility for its EMBA, EPHD, EMS awards and custom solutions. He chairs the School’s inter-campus CODIR for executive education and is responsible for client relations and partnerships globally. Professor Mercado is also responsible for the School’s external engagement in and recognition by international HE networks including key international accreditors such as AACSB and EFMD. He has charge of the School’s accreditation service.
As the former Dean of ESCP London (2015-2021) and Deputy Dean of Nottingham Business School (2011-2015), Simon has worked in a senior capacity in both the UK and French HE systems in senior executive roles. His experience includes that in strategic planning, resource management, internationalisation, business and corporate engagement.
Simon is an active member of the EFMD, CABS and AACSB international education networks and is an experienced peer reviewer. He serves as an advisory board member/chair for accredited business schools in France, India, Italy and Finland. Since 2021, he has been Chair of the International Committee of CABS and an advisory board member for the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.
Simon commentates and consults widely on HE internationalization, management education, leadership, and executive education. Through consultancy, knowledge-sharing and media publication, he offers a voice on HE management and development, rooted in knowledge of competing HE frameworks and HE-Industry partnership. In addition to his management and consultancy experience, he has approaching two decades of teaching and research history in the UK, France, Greece and Poland.