Almost 100 business leaders from Latin America and the United States gathered in Miami for the 5th Esade Alumni Meeting of the Americas, with a program of lectures and panel discussions on topics like innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology, in addition to testimonials from donors and recipients of the Esade scholarship program.
This gathering, one of Esade Alumni’s most important international events, featured Juan Carlos Pereira, CEO & Executive Director of the Spain US Chamber of Commerce, and the president of the institution, Mónica Vázquez, who welcomed all the alumni to the event, as well as Soraya Korkar García (EMMS 21), director of Individual Giving & Development Communications at Esade, and Pedro Galván (Lic&MBA 98), president of the Miami Chapter of Esade Alumni. “We have the opportunity to learn from more than ten speakers, enhance our network, build new contacts, and learn more about a key social initiative: the scholarship program,” said Iñaki Ocaña (Lic&MBA 06), Global Relations Director of Esade Alumni, at the event opening.
In the first dialogue of the day, Raül Giménez (Pg Dip Tax Law 01), CEO of Adecco Americas, highlighted the fact that Latin America offers “incredible professional opportunities.” Giménez also explained that prior to the pandemic, the United States had been choosing Asia to outsource its services, but since then it has been leaning towards closer countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia. “We’re talking about an impressive business volume for the job market in Latin America,” he concluded. “I think this will be a turning point in the region. Plus, the service quality is good compared to other countries, and this surprises customers in the United States.”
In another panel discussion, Chantelle Kocik, director of Telehealth and Service Operations at Keralty-Sanitas, analyzed the impact of technology and especially artificial intelligence (AI) in the health sector. “It’s defining a new era in healthcare services that comes with both opportunities and challenges. Opportunities both for patients, who can access many services without waiting, and for healthcare professionals, who will have tools to better track their patients. The challenges come with AI and the way this powerful tool is used,” she said.
The program also featured a panel discussion on TV content with the participation of Felipe Rey (Google TV), María Sánchez (Paramount), and Irantzu Diez-Gamboa (Mediapro). Another panel focused on the internationalization of tech startups. Plus, other business leaders and Esade alumni participated in open dialogues, including Nicolás Pinzón from the L35 Architects studio and Javier Echevarria (MBA 90), an expert in eCommerce who analyzed the case of Unilever.
Both donors and recipients of the Esade Scholarship Program shared their experiences and opinions at the meeting. “The scholarship was a turning point for me. It gave me access to resources and opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Clara Sallent, who was able to earn a double degree in Law and Global Governance, Economics, and Legal Order thanks to that financial support.
César Rodrigo (Gestión Internacional 11)
“The annual meeting is a great chance to connect with different areas of Miami both personally and professional. Mainly networking! This year I really enjoyed it because the people who came were responsible for many important areas in the city, like transportation, technology, and the Chamber of Commerce. It was the first time I left with as many contacts as possible that can lead to initiatives (like meeting the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain and being invited to help companies with a workshop on digital marketing). Holding these gatherings is vitally important as long as we keep the content updated and especially have speakers from areas of interest for the region”.
Clara Engerran (Double Degree Program 17)
“What I would highlight from the meeting is the quality of the talks, the interaction among the community members, and the fact that it’s an enjoyable event with fun activities (drawings, brand exhibition, Spanish cuisine, etc.), but also the high level in terms of the quality of the discussions, panelists, and interactions. The topics are up-to-date, and all the talks are designed to raise awareness of current issues in different business areas. It’s an outstanding way to update your network, plus it gives you new perspectives in your daily and professional life because you’re able to exchange opinions with professionals from different sectors, while sharing the fact that you’re all alumni.
“The Esade community in Miami and the Americas is huge, and it’s important to have high-quality events that bring us together year after year in order to keep up these ties, develop new connections, and strengthen our networking. The majority of us live abroad, and you feel at home when you’re able to get in touch with people with whom you’ve shared a common experience. I think that this is Esade’s most important strength, besides its incredibly high level of education. I had the chance to study at different institutions, and Esade is the school that does networking with alumni the best, which brings enormous value to your education and your professional and personal development”.
César Prieto (Lic&MBA 05)
“For me, it’s an unbeatable opportunity to connect with alumni who have undergone a process similar to mine in Latin America, and to learn and share experiences in different countries and settings. I liked the quality of the speakers, the organization of the event, and the importance attached to the Esade Alumni community by fostering these relationships among different profiles which all share a common denominator: Esade. These events are vitally important in maintaining that connection with our roots related to our education at Esade and the spirit it conveyed to us”.
