IESE 40under40 Cristina Aleixendri: Powering the future of shipping with wind and purpose

Cristina Aleixendri didn’t set out to change the shipping industry. An aeronautical engineer by training, she simply saw a massive challenge—maritime decarbonization—and an opportunity to apply her expertise in wings and airflow to an entirely different mode of transportation.

Today, as co-founder of bound4blue, Cristina is helping ships return to their roots by reintroducing wind power through rigid suction sails. Her startup’s technology offers a practical, scalable way for vessels to reduce fuel consumption and emissions—by up to 40%—with ROI in under five years. And it’s not just about sustainability: with evolving regulations and rising fuel costs, Cristina makes a clear call to ship operators to “consider wind propulsion as an alternative fuel source.”

Getting there, though, wasn’t easy. From countless rejections to industry skepticism, Aleixendri and her co-founders were told they were crazy. But she persevered, motivated by moments like seeing the smile on a customer’s face after the first successful installation. “That photo told me everything,” she recalls.

A 2022 IESE’s 40under40, Aleixendri’s story is anchored in values and resilience. She credits a high school math teacher for sparking her engineering journey and sees success not as a title or metric, but as staying true to one’s purpose.

In both life and business, she lives by a clear motto: “Live with purpose, align your actions with your values, and persevere through challenges—you’ll find your way.” That, and one more powerful habit she’s adopted in recent years: “Speak less and listen more.”

Cristina Aleixendri is not only helping ships sail more sustainably—she’s proving that with vision, grit, and values, anything is possible.

👉 Explore Cristina’s venture, bound4blue
👉 Learn more about IESE 40under40