A community of responsible leaders. This is how Esade Alumni defines itself. United by the same educational experience and shared values, the main objective of Esade alumni is to work to produce a positive impact on organizations and companies, as well as on society as a whole.
This motivation is reflected, among various actions, in the celebration of an annual day, which this year, under the umbrella of Leading for Impact, has been held at the National Theater of Catalonia (TNC).
At this event, which was attended by around 1,000 alumni, the 2023 Esade Award was presented to Gonzalo Gortázar, CEO of CaixaBank, in recognition of his commitment to responsible leadership and his firm conviction in advancing towards a more sustainable economy.
During this day, the lobby and the Sala Grande of the TNC became the meeting point for several generations of professionals united by the same interest, that of putting their experience and knowledge at the service of society.
For Jérôme Trochet, a member of Esade Alumni and vice-president of Club We -a space that promotes equal opportunities for men and women-, studying at this institution was essential "to acquire a series of skills and tools necessary to help build the future" . This former student, today Business Director of Nexe The Way of Change, is convinced that higher education is a "fundamental lever to offer new opportunities". That is why he especially welcomes the support for students that is provided through scholarships to finance studies at ESADE and that the association promotes.
Another of those attending the event, Isabel Ferrer, EMEA Marketing Director - Dolls Portfolio and Barbie Franchise at Mattel, Inc., especially appreciated that, during her student days at ESADE, she had the opportunity to understand that business is not only relevant economic, "but they also cause an impact on society as a whole that must always be taken into account". Along the same lines, the testimony of the Executive Coach, Berta Santos, for whom the training in values that she received in the classroom at the time, -she says- she is kept alive in the activities of Esade Alumni.
Those same values are what have led Gonzalo Gortázar to receive recognition. In his speech, Gortázar emphasized that the sustainability and social purpose of a company are today decisive elements in attracting and retaining talent. In the case of CaixaBank, this is not a new element, since it is part of its DNA, which, according to Gortázar, "makes us different in our way of doing banking and in reverting more than 30% of our profit directly to society, thanks to the extraordinary work of our main shareholder, the “la Caixa” Foundation.
This is also the way of conceiving the world of business and the business and educational activity of Esade –which for the second time has been considered the fourth best institution in the world in training for managers, according to the Financial Times– promoting scholarships that drive the “elevator social". For this reason, Gortázar did not hesitate to affirm that "we share many values with Esade, such as commitment, responsibility or the demand for a call to social action".
During the event, Daniel Sanchez, President of Esade Alumni, emphasized that "the association's objective is to serve the group of alumni, as well as connect with current students and contribute to the prestige of the school." For this reason, the meeting was also a magnificent opportunity to promote engagement and interactivity. At the entrance, attendees found caps of various colors. They had to choose one. They did not know that this color would decant the people they would meet that night, those who wore the cap of the same color. A fun activity to socialize, facilitate networking and also favor the creation of possible dynamics of collaboration and shared knowledge. Encounters that, by the way, were immortalized in a series of photographs that each group uploaded to the alumni Instagram account.
But the commitment of the students goes further and is something that makes the institution proud. In fact, Sanchez defined Esade Alumni as "a community of responsible leaders who collaborate in the construction of a just and sustainable society, from our respective professional fields, as demonstrated by the volunteer work of around 3,500 students of the association". "During the last 17 years we have dedicated time and experience to more than 350 entities that we have supported through various initiatives", such as solidarity consulting or the Together project to support the generation of a productive economy in developing countries. ”, added Sanchez, who also valued the work of Alumni Entrepreneurship, essential to continue innovating and supporting the creation of new companies.
For his part, the director of Esade, Xavier Mendoza, did not want to miss the opportunity to focus on a series of current issues that affect us all, such as the great challenges of competitive disruption that arise from the appearance of new technologies –particularly digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence–, the implications of climate change and the environmental crisis or the challenges of diversity, equity and inclusion in talent policies. All this has meant that companies and organizations have been "driven to undertake organizational transformation processes that not only help them to survive and grow, but also to have a positive impact on the great challenges that we face as a society," he explained.
In the words of its director general, Esade has the firm intention of accompanying “organizations in this process and training the leaders of the future who will contribute to purposeful transformation. Our motto, Do Good, Do Better, summarizes this will well”. Lisa Hehenberger, professor in the Department of General Management and Strategy at ESADE and director of the Esade Center for Social Impact, for her part, explained what impact investment consists of, which she defined as "one that forms part of the driving force of the company, and that seeks to offer alternative solutions to change things, instead of adapting to them, in areas such as the environment”.
The commission that awards the award especially valued the commitment shown by Gortázar, throughout his professional career, in favor of social responsibility, transparency and diversity; values that he shares with the academic institution. Before falling to the CEO of CaixaBank, these awards, intended to recognize careers, activities or services linked to the founding spirit of Esade, have been awarded to other prestigious figures such as Joaquín Duato, CEO of Johnson
The Esade Alumni Annual Conference in Barcelona is a benchmark event that was also broadcast via streaming and in which members of the Esade Alumni community had the opportunity to meet and talk. The meeting was, in short, a fair recognition of a career such as Gortázar's, and also a magnificent opportunity to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that await us in the future, both in the business world and in society itself.
