The Esade Alumni community in the United Kingdom held an exceptional event at the residence of the Spanish ambassador in London on October 3. With the participation of prominent members of the academic and business community, the gathering underscored Esade’s commitment to its students and the school’s positive impact on society.
Ambassador José Pascual Marco Martínez, along with Daniel Traça, Director General of Esade, welcomed the alumni. This was Daniel Traça’s first international event, and he strove to highlight the crucial role played by the alumni community all over the world and Esade’s future challenges.
Next to speak was Jorge Alcover (Lic&MBA 98), member of the Esade Alumni Board of Directors and Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. He recounted his experience as the president of the London Chapter when it was just a small community, before it became one of the most important chapters in Europe.
The event featured a panel on the Esade scholarship program, with speeches by Steven Kok (MBA 09) as a donor, Òscar Gestí (BBA 17) as a recipient, and Olaya García-Lancha (MBA 01), the director of International Development and Engagement at Esade, as the moderator. It was one of the most emotional times of the evening and demonstrated Esade Alumni’s commitment to training future generations. By sharing their experiences, Steven and Òscar inspired other alumni to support this initiative and contribute to creating a fairer and more equitable future. This type of initiative is fundamental to guarantee that talented people have the same opportunities, regardless of their background.
Finally, Luke Jahn (MBA 22), president of the Esade Alumni London Chapter, and Iñaki Ocaña (Lic&MBA 06), director of International Relations at Esade Alumni, said a few words to close the talks before moving on to the cocktail.
Ivan Bofarull (Lic&MBA 97), Chief Innovation Officer at Esade; Andrea Soto (PDM 96), assistant director of Recruitment and Admissions at Esade; Alexandra Castells (PMD 11), director of Corporate Partnerships and Engagement at Esade; and Ariadna Vilalta (inDigital 23), International Alumni Relations Manager at Esade Alumni, also travelled from Barcelona to London to be with the community.
The event at the ambassador’s residence served as a catalyst for networking, strengthening the bonds among alumni, and creating new opportunities for collaboration. The possibility of interacting with professionals from different sectors and countries enabled the attendees to expand their network of contacts and explore new business perspectives. Strategic alliances are hatched and doors are opened to innovative projects at these gatherings.
Mathias Eckhoff (MSc in Finance)
“As a Norwegian who lives in Spain and is looking for options of where to embark on a new stage, I’ve been analyzing the possibilities of continuing my career in London, and Zuzana Smakalova, Career Advisor & Sector Expert Consulting at Esade, told me about the Esade Alumni chapters all over the world. So I found out about the event at the embassy and Ariadna Vilalta welcomed me to join it. Wanting to meet Esade alumni and learn about professional life in London, I left the Sant Cugat campus and went directly to the airport to attend the event at the Spanish embassy in London that afternoon.
The venue, the participants, and the atmosphere were beyond my expectations. From the moment I entered the embassy, I was warmly welcomed and immediately felt included. I want to thank everyone who participated in organizing the event for having planned a memorable evening for a new member of the chapter. It was a fantastic experience!
Whether you’re a seasoned professional, a recent graduate, or a current student like me, the conversations flowed and connections were made. Seeing how open everyone was gave me the confidence to start more conversations with professionals. I was also glad to see that they tried to get to know me: my interests, career, and aspirations.”
Ramon Orriols (Lic&MBA 10)
“Even though I’ve been living in England’s Midlands for ten years, I’ve never attended any Esade Alumni event before because I don’t live in London. This event was a total success because of the large number of alumni it attracted. Taking advantage of the event to meet up with old colleagues and network was my main motivation for attending.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the evolution of Esade Alumni in the United Kingdom in recent years, as well as the cooperation with the Scholarship Program and the opportunities it is offering young people who would otherwise be unable to study at Esade.
The Esade Alumni community in the United Kingdom has grown a lot in recent years, and I have no doubt that it will continue to grow with new alumni. The United Kingdom is a country where meritocracy is rewarded and entrepreneurship is supported. Even though Brexit has brought about some challenges in recent years, there are opportunities for everyone who knows how to make the most of them!”
