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Esade Alumni LinkUp Peru Boosts Executive Networking

LinkUp Peru is an exclusive speed meeting with the country’s leading headhunters, designed to generate real connections, meaningful conversations, and concrete opportunities.
LinkUp Perú

The Esade Alumni Lima Chapter held a dynamic networking event for the community on April 21. The meeting took place at Casa Andina Premium (Miraflores) and brought together 30 alumni in an agile and highly effective format: seven-minute rounds of direct interaction with leading recruitment, headhunting, and consulting firms. The format was designed to maximize impact from the very first minute and avoid traditional generic talks.

Participating companies—Trust Consulting, Korn Ferry, Cornerstone, KSR Global, CHT Latam, and Adecco—found an efficient space to meet qualified talent for managerial and C-level positions, while attendees were able to present their profiles directly, with their CVs, updated LinkedIn profiles, and clear professional proposals.

LinkUp Perú

Real Connections

For José Quevedo (MBA 01), President of the Esade Alumni Lima Chapter, the goal was clear from the outset: “As President of the Esade Alumni Chapter in Peru, I am happy and excited to share our LinkUp Peru event in the speed meeting format with the main headhunting firms in Peru for managerial and C-level positions.”

Quevedo explained that adopting the speed meeting format responded to a specific need in both the market and the alumni community: “We saw a clear need: less theory and more real connections. We opted for an agile, direct, and impactful format. The result exceeded expectations, with meaningful conversations, visible talent, and headhunters identifying concrete profiles.”

According to the Chapter president, the event was equally valuable for participating firms, which gained efficient access to highly qualified candidates in a professional and well-organized environment. “For them, it was efficient access to qualified candidates. Without a doubt, a success that we will institutionalize and repeat regularly.”

LinkUp Peru reinforces the strategic role of Esade Alumni Chapters as catalysts for professional opportunities. In Quevedo’s words: “We act as a real bridge between talent and the market, creating spaces where things happen.”

The success of the event opens the door to scaling this format across other areas and geographies: “This format has proven it: it connects, activates, and transforms. We want to scale it, institutionalize it, and bring it to other chapters globally,” he concluded.

Voices from the Participants

Mercedes Roman, Managing Consultant at Korn Ferry

Mercedes Roman

What value does it have for a recruitment firm to meet alumni face-to-face in such an agile and direct format?

In interviews as brief as those at LinkUp, the focus is on the ability to synthesize and the first impression: in just a few minutes, dimensions become visible that do not always appear on paper, such as energy, clarity of purpose, level of self-awareness, and the ability to articulate impactful experiences. These meetings are particularly valuable because they allow us to connect with the intangible aspects of leadership in real time: how people present themselves, communicate their story, and build connection in an authentic, two-way dynamic that goes beyond the CV.

What are companies looking for today in executive profiles, and what advice would you give Esade alumni to stand out in these initial meetings?

Today, companies are looking for well-rounded leaders with adaptability, self-awareness, and purpose. Beyond technical experience, qualities such as focused ambition, initiative, genuine connection with others, and the humility to learn and lead collaboratively are highly valued. This can be summarized in four key dimensions: hunger (the drive to create impact), hustle (the ability to execute and deliver results), heart (passion and empathy), and humility (leading without ego).

In this context, the ability to learn and work alongside AI is also increasingly valued: leaders who combine technology with human judgment, purpose, and responsibility. It is not about mastering tools but about integrating technology thoughtfully into decision-making and leadership.

My main advice to alumni is to come to these spaces prepared to tell their story. Be clear about who you are, what you have done, and why you want to take the next step. In these initial meetings, preparation and authenticity make the difference. Questions may vary, but a strong personal and professional narrative allows you to connect with any interlocutor. Finally, it’s important to remember that these spaces work both ways: they are also an opportunity to assess whether there is a real fit between the individual, the organization, and the purpose they both pursue.

Jessica Guerreo (EMMS 17)

Jessica GuerreroWhat motivated you to participate, and how does this differ from other networking events?

What motivated me was precisely the format. The speed meeting was different from the start: you knew exactly who you would speak with, how much time you had, and what was expected of you. The pressure of the timer, far from being intimidating, forces you to get straight to the point and present yourself much more clearly than you normally would. In seven minutes, there is no room for digression, and paradoxically, that makes the conversation more honest and productive.

What insights did you gain on how to better position your profile?

It confirmed something I already had in mind: headhunters are not looking for the perfect candidate on paper; they are looking for someone who can clearly articulate the value they bring and where they want to go. You may have a very well-structured CV, but the elevator pitch—those 30 to 40 seconds in which you explain who you are and what you are looking for—is what truly opens conversations.

I also learned that an updated LinkedIn profile is as important, if not more so, than a printed CV. Several headhunters reviewed it in real time on their phones during the interviews. Your digital presence is your first introduction, even before entering the room.

It was an event I would highly recommend to any alumni who are in a transition phase or simply want to understand the market from the perspective of those who move talent.

 

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