“MBA? When I began the program, the term didn\u2019t even exist. I studied something called \u2018Master in Economics and Business Administration\u2019 (MED in Spanish), which was a specific training that included law and management studies with a business administration focus,\u201d explains Salvador, who arrived to the program after dropping out of the second year of the Professor of Commerce degree he was studying. Someone told his father, a notary, about the program, and he recommended it to Salvador. Spain was trying to move away from its inward-looking economy through its Development Plans, and the two-year course\u2014unknown until then in Europe\u2014would be imparted by IESE, which had been delivering executive leadership programs for less than six years. Its only endorsement was offering what could be considered an \u201cAmerican-style\u201d education. From those classes, initiated on September 21, 1964, Gerardo Salvador and his classmates all left with jobs, despite the fact that the program of that first class had been hammered out in barely three-and-a-half months.<\/p>\n For Salvador, it was a radical departure from his conception of education, and not only because of where the classes took place: pre-fabricated structures with fiberglass roofing. One reason was because some of the 31 students were international (half a dozen from Argentina, Colombia, Kenya and Philippines). Another reason was the familiarity with which the professors spoke to their students, despite the respect they proclaimed for them. But above all, because he learned that there was no point in memorizing. He remembers one of the tongue-lashings that Prof. Antonio Valero gave them that particularly stands out in his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cWe responded to something too literally and he told us that he didn\u2019t want walking encyclopedias <\/span><\/a>, he wanted students that had their ideas straight,\u201d he explains. He adds, \u201cThat\u2019s what Google is for today.\u201d In the MBA, the center of the action is the case method <\/span><\/a>, with the active intervention of the student, who must put their knowledge to use and provide input to resolve real-life problems. Raising one\u2019s hand in class is a must <\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Prior work experience is one of the changes that IESE has pursued; starting in the 1990s, the school began to require 1.9 years. Today it requires four years.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The so-called MED was imparted in Spanish. It wasn\u2019t until 1980 that the program became the first bilingual MBA in Spain <\/span><\/a>, although now classes are delivered exclusively in English. Nonetheless, Isabelle Somers disembarked in Barcelona last year with the objective of improving her Spanish, which she now speaks fluently, in addition to French, English and German. This young Canadian represents the evolution that the MBA program has undergone over its 50 years of history. She\u2019s a woman\u2014although the feminization of IESE\u2019s MBA classrooms still has a way to go\u2014and is five or six years older than the average student 50 years ago. In spite of her youth, she boasts a solid r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that includes leadership responsibilities in the multinational Bombardier. Prior work experience is one of the changes that IESE has pursued; starting in the 1990s, the school began to require 1.9 years. Today it requires four years.<\/p>\n The fact that Somers isn\u2019t Spanish perhaps reflects the greatest change since IESE began imparting its MBA. Last year, 83% of the 291 students enrolled come from 56 countries <\/span><\/a>. \u201cI love Europe and international programs, with a huge diversity of people, and I also wanted to improve my Spanish. IESE\u2019s MBA was my first choice because I love its focus on leadership development <\/span><\/a>,\u201d affirms Somers, who also emphasized her desire to live in Barcelona.<\/p>\n Despite the time that has transpired between their days as students, they both agree on the dedication required to pass the MBA. Salvador remembers that, in his day, only four students failed the program. Somers says that, although she was aware of the tremendous effort that it would entail, she is still surprised at how \u201cextremely intense\u201d it has become. This amount of work requires an equally intense relationship among the different members of the work teams, in which each one must take on leadership of a distinct area.<\/p>\n Since the teams can\u2019t be modified, as if they were a real-life corporate management board or work council, the students are obliged not only to collaborate together, but also to form bonds of mutual trust. A relationship may end up as a friendship, or the complete opposite. \u201cYou have to learn how to manage your time, prioritize objectives, and know how your fellow team members depend on you,\u201d which generates a \u201ccircle of trust\u201d, concludes Somers.<\/p>\n Today, a third of graduates end up creating their own company<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Isabelle Somers was also interested in another strong suit of this business school: the emphasis on developing entrepreneurs, driven in large part by Prof. Pedro Nueno. This aspect was completely off the radar in Gerardo Salvador\u2019s day. Says Somers, \u201cI want to find out if I have an entrepreneurial spirit. My father is very entrepreneurial and it\u2019s important for me, but it requires finding the right balance between taking risks and being able to create value in an organization.\u201d Salvador admits that this area of business creation didn\u2019t play a role in his career. \u201cWe were taught to be management professionals, but not to launch start-ups\u201d <\/span><\/a>, he affirms. Today, a third of graduates end up creating their own company <\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n *This article was originally published in Spanish by El Pa\u00eds. You can read it by clicking here<\/a>. IESE celebrates the 50th anniversary of its leadership program, recognized around the world and adapted to current times. Two people\u2014one from the first graduating class and one from the last\u2014discuss how it has changed. The differences between Gerardo Salvador and Isabelle Somers go beyond the several decades that separate them in age. Their dissimilarities also… <\/p>\n![\"IESE](\"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/mba\/files\/2015\/09\/IESE-MBA-II.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nCLEAR IDEAS<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nA STUDENT BODY THAT IS 83% INTERNATIONAL<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Studying Entrepreneurship<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"