Executive Summary
Opening the event, Harvard Business School's deputy dean, Carl Kester, praised IESE for being an example of successful globalization. One of the school’s most distinctive and impressive features was its global footprint, he said.
“We from Harvard are always astonished when we look at a map of the world and see all the places you could put a little flag marking where an IESE program is offered.”
“In this era of globalization, IESE has become a model and an inspiration to all of us in management education who are striving to increase our global reach,” he said.
The close relationship between Harvard and IESE goes back to 1963, when the Harvard-IESE Committee was formed to help IESE launch Europe’s first two-year MBA program. The committee still meets annually, and Prof. Kester, who is a member of the working group, said it remains a mutually beneficial arrangement.
IESE Dean Jordi Canals said Harvard continued to contribute to IESE’s evolution, including the development of its very successful Executive MBA and Global Executive MBA programs, as well as the creation and development of many other business schools around the world, and other collaborative ventures to provide executive education programs internationally.
“We not only congratulate the Harvard community for your centennial, we also want to thank you for having been, for so many years, a reference point for us, a great source of inspiration and learning, and a wonderful and very privileged source of friendship,” he said.
