News from Regional Associations
Chapter News

Bogota
Professor José Ramón Pin traveled to Bogota on July 22 to take part in an Alumni Meeting in which he led a session on “Corporate Social Responsibility: its impact on people and organizations.”

Douai Abbey
On July 23, IESE alumni from the United Kingdom gathered at Douai Abbey with their guests, IESE Professor Brian Leggett and OSB Professor Father Dermot Tredget. They held two sessions titled “Emotional intelligence and its influence on individuals and organizations” and “Personal relationships within organizations.”

Paris
On June 22, IESE alumni in Paris were invited by the Association of American University Alumni in France to join them in their Independence Day celebrations.

Sao Paulo
IESE alumni in Brazil met up once again on June 20, this time for a session led by Professor José Ramón Pin and organized by Carlos Ma Redondo (PDD-III-88), President of the local Regional Association. The session was followed by a trip round Pirelli’s factory in the city.

Shanghai
Taking advantage of the fact that a Global Executive MBA program module was being held in Shanghai, IESE alumni resident in China were invited to take part in a session led by IESE and CEIBS Professor Alfredo Pastor on July 18. The former CEIBS Dean led a session on relations between China and Europe that was attended by both Alumni and students on the Global Executive MBA Program.

Tokyo
On June 17, the Spanish embassy in the Japanese capital was the venue for another alumni reunion. On this occasion, alumni were joined by Nestlé’s Managing Director in Japan, José López, who led a session.

Toronto
A group of alumni met up with Professor Jordi Canals in Toronto, Canada, on June 22. IESE’s dean took advantage of the opportunity to bring the alumni up to date with the school and its achievements.

Top Austrian CEOs Attend IESE Alumni Event in Vienna

IESE alumni met in Vienna on May 24 for a conference titled: “China in the WTO – the consequences for Europe.” IESE has been involved in Austria’s entry into the new markets, opening up channels of communication with business schools in Eastern Europe and Russia with a view to expanding its horizons and extending into new areas.

This event, promoted by IESE and the Austrian Industry Federation, included a debate on China’s entry to the WTO and the resulting opportunities and challenges that this represented for Europe, given China’s potential as competitor, customer and powerful ally.

The panel included a number of important Austrian CEOs and company managers: Gerhard Falch, President of VOEST-ALPINE Industrienanlagenbau GmbH; Robert OTTEL, Deputy Member of the Management Board & Head of Division Motion at VOEST-ALPINE AG; Haus Stubenberg, Executive Vice President of AVL List GmbH and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Die Presse; and Dr. Michael Prüller, who chaired the debate.

Alfredo Pastor, Professor of Economics and a specialist on the Chinese economy set out the issues tabled for discussion during the debate, concluding that "As far as the China versus Europe scenario is concerned, we are more friends than adversaries, and we are viewing this process as if it were a problem." Professor Pastor stressed that "This process will continue to change over time, and therefore requires constant management."
Approximately 60 senior representatives of companies from Austria and the surrounding region took part in the conference, which was organized by Rudolf Repgen (AMP Director and member of the Alumni Department), and attended by Professors Liechtenstein and Habemayer.

After the conference had opened with a discussion on various issues relating to globalization and expansion, IESE Dean Jordi Canals met with IESE Alumni in a more informal setting to discuss the school’s plans for Austria and Central Europe.

The 1st MBA Alumni Olympics in London

Chris Daniels (MBA '00), member of the United Kingdom Regional Alumni Association, and Jeremy Dubois, current MBA student, offered us a taste of the London 2012 Olympics when they organized the first Olympic Games for graduate MBAs from some of the most prestigious business schools in the world.

The games were held on September 3 in London’s Battersea Park, attracting participants from IESE, Schulich School of Business, INSEAD, York Canada, IE, Esade, Oxford and Manchester Business School, among other institutions.

The inspiration for the event was the games that are held for current MBA students in Paris every year, so many of the participants found themselves facing “old rivals” once again. The sports involved in this first event included football, tennis, croquet, petanque and a tug-of-war.
The results seemed to follow expectations. IESE’s graduates maintained the complete dominance on the football pitch that they have demonstrated year after year in Paris, while INSEAD’s alumni remained number one at petanque, another sport that features in the Paris MBA Tournament.

However, this initiative is intended by its organizers to transcend the realm of sport and entertainment and serve as a way of raising funds for a British organization that helps young underprivileged children develop skills and transform their lives.

This first edition of the graduate games was a great success, both in terms of the number of graduates attending from various schools and for the event’s family friendly atmosphere (in spite of the rivalry!). As a consequence, Chris Daniels says he hopes that he “will be seeing all the participants again next year.”