The 29th Esade Alumni Annual Meeting was held on June 16 at Barcelona’s Palau de Congressos de Catalunya with the inspiring motto of “From Legacy to Leadership” providing the alumni community with a unique opportunity to meet up again, exchange experiences, and create new professional opportunities.
In a globalized, constantly changing world, family-owned companies offer valuable lessons in leadership rooted in coherence, commitment, and a long-term vision. Esade Alumni shares these same values: a community united by lasting relationships, a shared purpose, and a transformative mission. This is why this year’s annual meeting explored how to turn that legacy into a global impact without losing its founding essence and values and working together to project a future legacy.
The event began with a lively performance by Planeta Impro, who delighted the audience yet another year with their “Improshow,” which features improvised stories based on phrases that alumni wrote down when they arrived.
The official opening featured Patricia Valentí (MBA 02, Promociona 17), Director of Esade Alumni, who thanked CaixaBank for its sponsorship, as well as all alumni, students, and partners for making Esade Alumni a living, connected network full of opportunities. Valentí also stressed gratitude for the presence of Gabriel Escarrer, CEO and Chairman of Meliá Hotels International, who was awarded the 2025 Esade Award. She noted that “his career reflects the values of family-owned businesses that we share: a global vision, leadership with purpose, and the capacity for transformation.”
After the event opening, the discussion entitled “The Future of Esade and Esade Alumni” was held, with Daniel Sánchez (Lic&MBA 92), president of Esade Alumni, and Daniel Traça, the director general of Esade. In their conversation, they explored the challenges facing both institutions and spotlighted the critical importance of working together to create a meaningful impact in the world.
The core part of the event examined the topic of “From Legacy to Leadership” in family-owned companies. Dimo Ringov, Associate Professor in the Department of Strategy and General Management at Esade, delivered the first talk, which focused on the challenge of internationalizing organizations. He congratulated Esade Alumni for its successful internationalization process, with its current figures of 80,000 alumni all over the world, 74 international chapters, 12 regional clubs, and 24 interest groups. He proudly said that, “We seem to be doing well in our international strategy. How many universities can say the same?”
The session continued with a roundtable moderated by Daniel Sánchez. He was joined by María José Parada (MBA 01), Associate Professor in the Department of Strategy and General Management at Esade, and Gabriel Escarrer, Esade alumni and CEO and Chairman of Meliá Hotels International.
During his talk, Escarrer stressed that 80% of Meliá’s forecast growth in the upcoming decade will revolve around vacation tourism. “International expansion is in Meliá’s DNA. After consolidating our presence in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and the Spanish coast, my father took the courageous step of opening our first international hotel in Bali. That experience transformed our vision of tourism: we learned that it is possible to grow in a respectful, positive, and sustainable way,” he said.
In his conversation with María José Parada, Escarrer underscored his father’s lasting legacy and the values that continue to inspire Meliá’s corporate culture: “a vocation for service, excellence, innovation, coherence, and openness.” He affectionately recalled: “My father used to say, ‘Great families make great companies, and great companies make great families.’ And it’s true. These values have united us as a family and strengthened us as a company during the two biggest crises in the sector.”
Regarding future challenges, Escarrer stressed the importance of preserving the family legacy and continuing to create wealth and wellbeing through tourism. He also pointed to talent as one of the most urgent challenges for the sector: “My father understood this decades ago, and it’s still true today: our main asset is people.” He concluded the interview with a tip for future generations: “The best advice I give my children is that the best investment is the one you make in yourself, in your training, and in developing real skills that suit he world to come.”
The event concluded with recognition of Gabriel Escarrer, who was distinguished with this edition of the Esade Award. He was given it based on his ethical, innovative leadership that is committed to sustainability, business excellence, and a positive impact on society. His ability to consolidate and internationally expand the legacy of a family-owned business while maintaining its original values and promoting a modern, global transformation makes him a true role model.
When he accepted the award, Escarrer was touched and said: “I am very moved to accept this award. Esade has marked my life, but what attracted me the most was its values: the common good, integrity, innovation… It’s a great example for training future leaders and making a better world. No matter where I go, I am proud to say that I am what I am thanks to Esade.”
Finally, Patricia Valentí invited the alumni to continue the event with a social cocktail in the gardens, which featured a concert by The Tutsies. She reminded everyone there of the importance of “leaving a better world for our children; that is an extraordinarily important legacy”, and stressed that this social part of the event was essential.
These are the Meeting highlights. Don't miss them!:
