Jessica Breaugh
ESCP Business School
“Dr. Jessica Breaugh is teaching one of the most important subjects in our program, Corporate Social Responsibility & Business Ethics, across our five campuses (Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, and Turin). She is more than dedicated, not only teaching but also writing more than sixty letters of recommendation for the students. She encourages discussion and debate while emphasizing that is ok to disagree, but we need to be productive, and respectful. She understands and respects that undergrads might be young, but they are motivated, smart and many are very dedicated not to just studying but also the contributions they want to make to society.” – Professor Houdou Basse Mama
Jessica Breaugh, 39, is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at ESCP Business School’s Berlin Campus, where she teaches Corporate Social Responsibility & Business Ethics. Her multidisciplinary background in psychology, politics, and management underpins her research on what drives people to give back to society.
Breaugh joined ESCP in 2022, stepping into a critical curricular role at a time when the Berlin campus needed to rebuild consistency and quality in its mandatory CSR & Business Ethics course. Today, she teaches about 550 students across nine course sections and has been appointed by ESCP’s Board of Academic Directors as coordinator of the course across all five ESCP campuses—Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, and Turin.
Her teaching philosophy blends structured theory with hands-on learning. She encourages open debate, productive disagreement, and inclusive dialogue in classrooms that range from intimate groups to lecture halls of hundreds. She adapts cases and examples to the diverse backgrounds of ESCP’s undergraduates, recognizing their dedication not only to academic work but also to their larger societal contributions. A frequent mentor, she has written more than 60 letters of recommendation in a single year, and students often describe her as one of the most responsible, supportive, and impactful professors they encounter during their degree.
Her work has been published in Public Management Review and Government Information Quarterly, and she serves on the editorial board of Public Personnel Management. She earned a Best Paper Award for her research on stress and work engagement, presenting her findings to an international working group at the OECD.
Before joining ESCP, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Hertie School, affiliated with the Centres for Digital Governance and Fundamental Rights, and previously worked for Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? Since 2022
Education: PhD, Governance – Hertie School, Berlin; Master’s of Arts (coop), Public and International Affairs – University of Ottawa; Bachelors of Arts (Honors), Psychology and Political Science – University of Ottawa
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: CSR and Business Ethics
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I stepped into the classroom for the first time. I had a mix of excitement and anticipation and maybe just a tiny bit of anxiety… but very quickly I realized that teaching allows me not only to engage with leaders, and future leaders, but also to pursue the intellectual autonomy and curiosity that drew me to academia in the first place.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I am currently researching how change (digital change, but also political change), impacts people inside organizations. What I have found is that change is experienced not primarily as a technical process but as a deeply social one. Individuals interpret and enact change through their professional identities, relationships, and sense of purpose often in ways that diverge from formal plans and leadership intentions. Change is negotiated from the bottom up as much as it is designed from the top down.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … in the foreign service, where I started my career before doing a PhD and embarking on a career in academia.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? As a professor, I have always tried my best to take the time to listen to my students and encourage them to develop or deepen their own convictions, even if I sometimes come across somewhat opinionated myself. Teaching a mandatory course has an added level of complexity in that not all students share the same level of motivation and engagement for the topic. So, I see my role in focusing on making complex topics accessible by bridging theory and practice to help students see not only the academic logic of an issue but also its real-world importance.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Apprehension mixed with a little excitement of the unknown.
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: You have to wear many hats as teacher, counselor, researcher, and colleague. No day is ever really the same. That unpredictability can both wear you down and lift you up. It’s demanding, but it’s also what gives this job its sense of purpose. Working at ESCP adds another layer color. Being part of a truly multicultural and multilingual community of students and staff brings constant opportunities to learn from others and challenge my own assumptions.
Professor I most admire and why: There are two professors from my time at the University of Ottawa whom I remember fondly. I don’t recall their names, but I’ll never forget their classes.
The first taught American politics. What struck me most was how much he genuinely enjoyed teaching; he clearly had fun in the classroom , he was excited to share his knowledge with us. Watching him made me realize that learning can be both rigorous, but also full of energy and (sometimes even) humor.
The second was a psychology professor who taught a course on the philosophy of perception. Prior to this course, I had excelled very much in technical components of psychology (neurobiology, child development, psychopathy, cognition) . This class completely changed how I thought about and experienced learning. We were a small group who spent most of the winter term sitting on the ground or on our jackets during our formal lecture time. The course had no slides, no lectures, just open discussion on perception guided by the professor. The exam was a essay on the philosophy of perception. Why this left an everlasting impression on me was that it was the first time I experienced what real intellectual exploration felt like with the freedom to question, connect ideas, and think deeply without pressure of ‘learning for the test’. The professor managed to create a space where everyone was free to explore and engage in the topics of the week – which is remarkable now that I am in his shoes…
These two professors challenged my status quo about learning and university, and showed me that teaching is as much about how we engage as what we teach.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? I would have to say hands down: their energy, passion, and sense of possibility. They come to class with big ideas and curiosity, with big career goals, and a plan on how to get there. This enthusiasm can be contagious.
What is most challenging? The most challenging part of teaching a mandatory course is getting everyone equally engaged and interested. Not all students start out interested, let alone motivated to learn, about the topic, so it takes creativity to make the material feel relevant and meaningful to them.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Passionate
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Indifferent.
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… fair, though I’ll admit it’s my least favorite part of teaching. Grades can acknowledge motivation and hard work, but they don’t always reflect the full depth of a student’s learning or curiosity.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I like to ice skate, travel, and learn new cultures.
How will you spend your summer? Summers are normally spent both traveling and enjoying the summer weather in Berlin. The city emerges from its dark winter slumber to a burst of color and energy. This year we are planning to head to coastal area of Southern Danmark.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Anywhere with wide open spaces.
Favorite book(s): I recently bought a book at Milan central station called “Irresistible: How Cuteness Wired our Brains and Conquered the World” by Joshua Paul Dale. I have to admit, it was an impulse buy, but a completely fascinating story tracing the history of why we find things ‘cute’ (specifically an introduction to the academic area of ‘cute studies’, which is a cross between neuroscience, and cultural studies).
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I must admit – I am currently watching too many K-dramas. Growing up in Toronto, which was a hot bed for multiculturalism, I have always been interested in learning and experiencing different cultures beyond my own. I stumbled upon K-dramas through a recommendation from Netflix, and this opened up an entirely new cultural world for me. The sometimes over the top storytelling, humour, and emotion feel both different and familiar at the same time, which is what keeps me hooked. I watch them in Korean – which means I need to read the subtitles. This has a hidden bonus that I need to be completely focused on the show, rather than mind wonder and I’ve learned a few words in Korean as well!
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why?: I tend to listen to music in waves. At the moment, it’s Ed Sheeran. I love the playfulness of his new album, and the remixed featuring different musical styles.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … Applied learning with a mix of lectures, projects, and hands-on experiences outside the classroom. That’s where students really connect theory to practice and discover what works in the real world, and perhaps also have a better understanding of where they may fit in.
They would also focus on students understanding their own values and convictions (of all spectrums), and that it is ok to disagree, yet respect, one another. In today’s polarized society, the power to listen to others (rather than convincing they are wrong), and disagree without spreading hatred and misinformation, is eroding.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … recognizing potential and creativity in people who don’t fit conventional molds.
I’m grateful for … my family who have been rock solid in supporting my career and ambitions.
DON’T MISS THE ENTIRE ROSTER OF 2025’s 50 BEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSORS.
© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.
