EAE News
A Review of 2017 at EAE Business School
21 de December de 2017
We take stock of what has happened at the School in 2017: activities, events, networking and market trends
The key figures for 2017 can be summed up by stating that 8,000 professionals visited the campuses of EAE Business School, where they took part in one of the 440 activities organized. However, we want to look in a bit more detail what this year has meant to us, highlighting some unforgettable moments that we have experienced.
Annual Alumni Reunion 2017
One of the great annual events organized by EAE Business School is the reunion held for former students, which also welcome current students, lecturers from the Master programs and various guest of honour. In 2017, the Annual Alumni Reunion was held on Friday 3rd November in the VIP box at Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, with the participation of Mitch Lowe, co-founder of Netflix and current CEO of MoviePass, as the keynote speaker to an audience of more than 600 attendees.
"Building the Change" was the slogan that united the conferences headed by the guests at the reunion. Carmen García García, the Director of Cognitive Solutions at IBM; María Marte and Luisa Orlando, the Kitchen Manager and General Director at Club Allard; Mariano Silveyra, the Country Manager for Spain at Cabify; Almudena Moreno Hernández, the Head of Millennial Makers at Telefónica Open Future; and Beatriz Navarro, the Director of Marketing and Communication at FNAC, took part in the event with their EAE Talks - short presentations to share their knowledge and practical experiences.
TEDxEAE: 'Being the boss of your own future'
On 29th November, the auditorium of the Madrid Architects' Association was the venue for the first edition of TEDxEAE, specially aimed at the School's entrepreneurial students. Daring to change the world, leaving your comfort zone, the power of music and the concept of neuro-leadership were some of the topics addressed by the 10 guest speakers at the event. With presentations lasting between 10 and 15 minutes, the guest speakers to take to the stage included Isaac Hernández, the Country Manager for Iberia at Google, Sonia Díez Abad, the Director of the Colegio Internacional de Torrequebrada; Daniel Landa, the journalist and 'travelling adventurer'; Gemma González Andrés, the executive coach and CEO of Konnectare; and Javier Sirvient, 'Technology Evangelist'; as well as the former students Sara Alvarellos and David Usón, who shared their experiences as entrepreneurs.
50 years of the MBA
The year got off to an exciting start in January, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the MBA, one of the School's most reputable Masters, which ranks among the Best Global MBAs 2017 on the league table prepared by the prestigious Mexican journal Expansión. In both Madrid and Barcelona, the celebration event coincided with a dinner to mark the end of the program for the students of the Executive MBA. At the Madrid Casino, Raúl Bravo, the Director of EAE Business School in Madrid, remarked that this celebration represented "50 years of training executive professionals in the company of the best teachers". This sentiment was reiterated by Josep María Altarriba, the Dean of EAE Business School, at the dinner in Barcelona, who emphasized that students on the Executive MBA are changing the world.
Welcome to Master and the Graduation Ceremony
Just like every year, EAE Business School helps new students settle in during Welcome Week, which includes presentations by the Program Directors, Academic Coordination Department and Professional Careers Service, as well as a cultural tour of the city and a team-building event. Depending on the session, every year, EAE Business School organizes two Welcome Weeks, the first for students whose programs start in April, and the second for those starting in October (as well as the Welcome Week for Bachelor Degree students who start in September).
However, while some students are just beginning their academic training at the School, others are coming to the end of their programs. Nerves, excitement and pride are the predominant feelings in the School's corridors during the period in which students defend their Master's Theses. This test represents the end of their studies, when they demonstrate everything that they have learned to a panel.
After this step comes the great culmination of all programs at EAE Business School: the Graduation Ceremony. More 1,700 students graduated on Thursday 22nd June at the Madrid Arena, accompanied by César Alierta, the President of the Fundación Telefónica as the Patron of the 2016/2017 graduating class. Meanwhile, for the Barcelona Campus, the event was held in the first Pavilion of the Fira de Barcelona, in the company of Joan Castells, the Chairman of Fiatc, as the Patron of the graduating class, who highlighted values such as passion, the desire to work and time management in his speech.
Cultural visits: a unique opportunity to discover Madrid and Barcelona
Many of the students at EAE Business School are having their first international experience, after leaving their comfort zone and leaving behind their country, family and friends to embark on their Master in Madrid or Barcelona. The cultural visits organized by the School's Academic Coordination Department are specifically designed for these students.
On a monthly basis throughout 2017, students have had the opportunity to discover the history of the cities they are living in, as well as gaining a more detailed insight thanks to the tourist guides that accompany each visit. Moreover, the cultural visits also give students the chance to take time out from their everyday routine and get to know other students from different programs, countries and sectors.
The visits organized over the last 12 months include the following:
- In Madrid: the National Archaeological Museum, the Romanticism Museum, a tour of Medieval Madrid, the Reina Sofía Museum, El Prado and the National Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
- In Barcelona: the MACBA, the MNAC, the Pedralbes Monastery, a tour of Medieval Barcelona, the Picasso Museum and the Sagrada Familia.
Life at EAE: fun times at the School
With the aim of capitalizing on the multicultural diversity of the classrooms of EAE Business School, the School also organizes a series of more fun activities that give students the opportunity to get to know each other, as well as strengthening the personal relationships and developing values such as teamwork, empathy and solidarity.
Every year, both campus hold the popular Gastronomy Sessions. In a relaxed setting, students at the School, as well as lecturers and academic staff, get together to present the typical cuisine of each nationality. "We study with people from other countries but, thanks to the Gastronomy Sessions, we can gain an insight into the everyday lives of the people of each nationality", explained Paola Quevedo and Verónica de Freitas, students on the Master in Marketing and Commercial Management at the Madrid Campus with respect to the initiative.
Talent Week EAE: 3,298 CV from candidates collected by 76 leading companies
Held from Monday 6th to Thursday 9th March, organized by the Professional Careers Service, the second edition of Talent Week gave the 2,707 students who took part the opportunity to raise their visibility, talk to 76 leading companies and submit their CVs for future employment opportunities. In total, the companies collected 3,298 CVs from candidates.
Manpower, Deloitte, Grant Thornton, Decathlon, Burson Masteller, Adecco, Banco Mediolanum, ElTenedor, Ernst&Young, Global Talent, Grupo Planeta, IBM, Leroy Merlin, Indra, Michel Page, Ogilvy, Pepe Jeans and STEF were some of the participating companies in the second edition of Talent Week, taking part in various Company Meetings and in-person workshops.
Over the course of four days, the event gave students the chance to strengthen their network of contacts with the participating companies, with students coming to the end of the programs approaching the companies that are looking for young talent to join their organizations.
Company Meeting: opportunities and company presentations
On a monthly basis, the Professional Careers Service organizes a Company Meeting, in which Directors of Human Resources, recruiters and talent acquisition professionals form leading companies visit the Madrid and Barcelona Campus to present the company that they work for and, in particular, look for profiles to join them and develop their professional careers.
EAE Business School has more than 3,500 partnership agreements in place with national and international companies, which is reflected in the variety of companies that have taken part in the initiative this year, including Huawei, Mars, Pepsi, DXC Technology, Stef, Atrevia, Manpower, LVMH and Enterprise, to name just a few.
Discovering the reality of the professional markets with expert guidance: Management Conferences, Business Networking session and Spanish Executives around the World Conferences
With the objective of giving students at EAE Business School an insight into the reality of the market, the School continuously participates, organizes and collaborates in different events with guest speakers from leading large companies. In these activities, students have the opportunity to strengthen their network of contacts, as well as discovering the challenges and trends in various sectors, including Human Resources, Project Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, Taxation, etc.
The first of the popular Business Networking sessions was held on 26th April on the Barcelona Campus. It aimed to give an insight into the best strategies and trends in online marketing in 2017, in collaboration with the Barcelona Marketing Club and the participation of Ricardo Mollet, the CEO and founding partner of PSM.
This event was followed by similar session in May, June, September and November, organized in collaboration with large companies and associations, including APD, CSCMP, Adigital, ACAT, Just Eat, ACCID and ARHOE, among others. The last of these sessions, entitled "Trends in Company Training and Development", was held on 27th November in the CEPSA auditorium, with the participation of professionals such as Carlos Morán Moya, the Director of Human Resources at CEPSA; Begoña Trasancos, the Director of Human Resources at AMADEUS; Gonzalo de la Rosa, the Director of Human Resources at CETELEM BNP PARIBAS; Carmen Polo, the Director of Human Resources at AXA Seguros; Francisco Puertas, the Talent and Organization Lead at Accenture; and Carlos Hernández Jiménez, the Director of People Strategy and Policies at Bankia.
Another event that has had great success and repercussions throughout 2017 was the Spanish Executives around the World program, in collaboration with the APD (Association for Management Progress. In the sessions, Spanish executives would in various places around the globe share their experiences, as well as advocating Spanish talent. The first of these sessions was held on 6th June in Madrid, with the participation of Luis de Torres, the CEO of Healthcare for LATAM and Brazil at the multinational SODEXO, whose presentation was entitled "Talent and diversity".
EAE LAB: accelerator/incubator for entrepreneurial ventures
In 2017, the School also reinforced its support for its entrepreneurial students. With the initiative EAE LAB, a new acceleration program has been created that helps entrepreneurs to develop their business and identify their competitive advantages to make it grow. After the initial reception and selection of proposals, in November, the Lab welcomed eight projects that will be developed in Madrid and two more in Barcelona.
Over the course of ten months, the teams behind these, which include former students of EAE Business School, will receive guidance on administrative, accounting, legal and employment matters, as well as orientation and training, coaching sessions and networking platforms. At the end of the incubation, they will present their projects to potential investors in an event known as Venture Day. "We are excited to embark on this experience. We believe that we will be able to grow a great deal thanks to the selected projects supporting each other", remarked Manuel Andrés Holgado together with his colleague Daniel Campillo, from the project JoinBuy. Without a doubt, this initiative reinforces the School's commitment to entrepreneurship, providing a unique opportunity for the teams selected to develop their project.