Career treks are where the IESE MBA comes alive, connecting classroom learning with real-world insight. This year, across Barcelona, Berlin, and Madrid, our MBA students explored various industries gaining firsthand exposure and building connections that shape their career journeys. In this post, learn more about the Madrid treks organized by the Sports, Media & Entertainment Club and Healthcare Clubs in March.
Exploring Sports, Media & Entertainment in Madrid
Organizing the IESE Sports, Media and Entertainment Club Trek to Madrid, which I co-lead at IESE Business School, was a real challenge. But looking back, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
In just two days, 16 members of the club visited 7 incredible companies, all of them showcasing how fast the sports, media and entertainment industry is evolving in Europe – and particularly in Spain.
More importantly, we had the chance to meet outstanding professionals who generously shared their journeys, achievements and the challenges ahead for their organizations. Experiences like this remind you how vibrant, innovative, and full of opportunities these industries truly are.
Our trek began with the warm welcome of Isabel Muñoz-Rojas Manrique de Lara and Álvaro Montero at You First | Gersh, where we learned about representing elite athletes and artists at the highest level.
At Sportian, Alejandra Ramos Alba, Diego Dini and Tom Woods introduced us to the fascinating world of Sportech with this JV between Globant and LALIGA, from their impressive offices just steps away from the Santiago Bernabéu.
At Fever, Rocío Trujillo Alba, Blanca Navarro and Daniel Palomino Castro shared the remarkable growth story of the company and gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Madrid Formula 1 Grand Prix.
We closed the first day at PEAK Sport Media, where Kenza Del, Margherita Schiatti and Carmen Carreño Gutiez walked us through their projects and upcoming plans around major events such as the Copa del Rey Final.
The second day started with Evandro V. Bernaldo de Quirós at Team Heretics, immersing us in the rapidly growing world of eSports, where the organization plays a key role in the industry.
Despite the Madrid rain, Gabriel Gonzalez-Gordon welcomed us at LALIGA, where we learned about the impressive work being done at the Club Office to help clubs across LaLiga professionalize and grow.
And to close these intense two days, Marta Champer Garcia and José M. Martínez “Bena” presented the ambitious Gemswell Surf Madrid project, which will open in 2027 and aims to become Europe’s largest artificial surf lagoon, reshaping the sports and entertainment landscape of the city.
It is impossible to fully express how grateful I am to everyone who made this trek possible and such a memorable experience. None of this would have happened without the support of Irene van der Meer, Carmen Sánchez García and María Celeste Atencio, who helped make this initiative a reality. Also grateful to my fellow co-president Sahil Seth for his support.
To make it a truly comprehensive experience, we had also organized a panel prior to the trip focused on on “The Sports Industry in Spain: Where it is now and where it’s going” with Marc Serra, Óscar Iranzo Rovira and Albert Freixa Gonfaus, giving participants a solid context before arriving in Madrid.
Our speakers shared concrete advice on how to build a career in sports: from being adaptable, flexible and curious, to leveraging data to explain why things happen and how to improve them, and to constantly working on the “soft skills” and mindset you need to perform like an athlete in a highly competitive industry.
We also discussed how clubs must think and act as brands: understanding their heritage and fan “history”, creating narratives that do not ignore the past, and using new media and content formats to connect with fans beyond the 90 minutes of the game.
It was fascinating to compare perspectives between Europe and the US on monetization, branding and internationalization, and to see how social media now allows even smaller players and organizations to tell their stories, be heard, and compete for attention if they focus on quality and authenticity.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed with questions and ideas – we are excited to keep organizing these conversations to better understand the sports industry from multiple angles and help our community grow within it.
Written by Joaquin Soriani, MBA Class of 2026 [Reposted from Linkedin]
Understanding the healthcare ecosystem in Spain
I am proud to share that in March, this year’s IESE Healthcare Club Trek took place in Madrid, which I co-organized together with Martí Alfonso Colet and Alvaro Goenaga Lloves.
Together with a group of IESE MBA students, we spent two days immersed in the healthcare industry, visiting leading companies such as Eli Lilly and Company, Sandoz, AstraZeneca, Insud Pharma, and Takeda. With each visit, we gained different perspectives on how these organizations are adapting to a rapidly evolving landscape while always keeping patients at the center of their efforts.
We had many engaging discussions across multiple topics, but three stood out in particular: the growing role of AI and digital technologies in transforming drug discovery, operations, and patient care; the challenge of balancing innovation and portfolio growth while navigating patent cliffs and cost pressures; and the industry’s responsibility to deliver sustainable impact for patients and society while maintaining operational excellence.
We wrapped up the trek with a networking event with IESE alumni working at various pharma companies such as Roche, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Takeda and Novartis which was fantastic. It was incredibly valuable to hear directly from leaders across the sector and connect our MBA learnings with real-world industry challenges. Their openness in sharing both insights and personal journeys made the experience especially enriching for everyone involved.
A huge thank you to all the companies that welcomed us, the speakers who shared their time and insights, and the MBA students who participated with curiosity and enthusiasm.
Written by Jordi Fina Castellà, MBA Class of 2027 [Reposted from Linkedin]
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