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Esade Alumni International Gathering brings together global leaders in London

The evening brought together alumni and members of the international community around a shared ambition: Driving Meaningful Impact Together  
International Gathering

The historic Hansom Hall at St. Pancras London, Autograph Collection set the stage for one of the most important Esade Alumni gatherings of the year, welcoming a distinguished community of alumni. The event, held under the theme “Driving Meaningful Impact Together”, reaffirmed Esade’s commitment to fostering dialogue and collaboration around the pressing challenges shaping today’s global landscape.

From the moment guests arrived for the welcome coffee reception, the atmosphere reflected both anticipation and a shared purpose: to connect, reflect, and inspire action across borders and industries.

The evening opened with welcome remarks by Olaya García-Lancha, Director of Alumni International, who highlighted the growing importance of Esade’s global alumni network as a platform for influence and collective impact.

International Gathering

A standout moment followed with a conversation between Daniel Traça, Director General of Esade, and Jorge Alcover (Lic&MBA 98), President of Esade Alumni. The conversation between Daniel Traça and Jorge Alcover highlighted Esade’s forward-looking vision in a context of uncertainty, emphasising the need to prepare future leaders. Traça stressed the importance of reinforcing Esade’s core values—openness, impact and humanism—while strengthening key areas such as technology, geopolitics and critical thinking. Alcover, in turn, underlined the role of the alumni network as a global community that supports careers, fosters collaboration and amplifies the school’s impact. Together, they conveyed a clear call to action: the importance of building an engaged, connected community capable of driving meaningful change.

The programme continued with a compelling panel discussion titled “Borders, Powers and Markets”, moderated by Esade Professor Jorge Galindo. Featuring Carsten Nickel, Managing Director at Teneo, and Thomas Gratowski, Director of the BCG Center for Geopolitics, the session offered a nuanced analysis of today’s shifting geopolitical landscape. Speakers examined how evolving power dynamics, economic fragmentation, and geopolitical tensions are influencing global markets and business decision-making.

International Gathering

Artificial intelligence: opportunity and responsibility

One of the highlights of the evening was the keynote address by Esade Professor Omar Puertas, Legal Innovation Partner at Harvey. In his talk, “The Double-Edge Algorithm: AI Impact on Companies and Business”, Puertas brought critical depth to the theme of artificial intelligence to unpack how these systems truly work. His intervention reframed AI not as a thinking entity but as a probabilistic tool designed to optimise outcomes and user engagement, highlighting both its immense potential to enhance productivity and its risks when used uncritically. In the context of the event’s focus on future challenges, his message reinforced a key idea: the real competitive advantage lies not in the technology itself, but in how leaders combine it with human judgement, critical thinking and purpose—ensuring that AI becomes an enabler of meaningful impact rather than a substitute for it.

Omar Puertas

The conversation then shifted to one of the most urgent topics for organisations today: the future of work. The panel, introduced by Luke Jahn (MBA 22), President of Esade Alumni London Chapter president, and moderated by Lilian Loyola (EMBA 17), Board Member of Esade Alumni London Chapter, brought together industry professionals including Natalia Hariharan, Senior HR BP in Financial Services, and Dan Duckart (Expedia). The discussion explored how companies are redefining talent strategies, workplace culture, and leadership models in response to technological disruption and changing employee expectations. 

International Gathering

As the evening transitioned into a networking cocktail, attendees had the opportunity to continue conversations in a more informal setting. Music by DJ Chloé Fontaine created a vibrant atmosphere, bringing together professionals from diverse sectors to strengthen relationships and spark new collaborations.

The Esade Alumni International Gathering in London once again demonstrated the power of community in addressing global challenges. As Esade continues to expand its international reach, gatherings like this play a crucial role in reinforcing its mission: to develop leaders who drive positive change and create meaningful impact worldwide.

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