The invaluable help provided by Sponsoring Companies is reinforced every year with new members who are welcomed by IESE, along with those that have supported the school since the beginning.
Anuntis, Banco Madrid, Caser, Clear Channel, Coface, El Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, Encofrados J. Alsina, Línea Directa Aseguradora, Meta4, PepsiCo, Remitsa Invest, Saba Infraestructuras, Société Générale and Zardoya Otis have all joined IESE as sponsoring companies over the past year. Dean Jordi Canals gave them diplomas of accreditation at the Annual Meeting of Sponsoring Companies, Academic Chairs and Research Centers held on May 13 on IESE’s Barcelona campus. He also mentioned the Chair of Sustainability and Business Strategy created for IESE by Schneider Electric, which also received a diploma.
“There are four dimensions to companies that we need to focus on now,” said Canals during his presentation. “The first is governance with a long-term view. The second is to focus on clients, independent of the product or service offered. Companies that really take care of their clients are the ones that will survive. The third dimension derives from the first two: people are fundamental to the company.” All of which leads to the fourth dimension – the pursuit of excellence in management.
Prof. Juan Carlos Vázquez-Dodero talked about the “new anthropology” required if business is to play the part it needs to play in society and said that IESE aims to provide society with professionals who will improve it. “IESE is committed to the development of an integrated concept of the company,” said Prof. Vázquez-Dodero. “The point of companies is financial, but their mission must be humane and therefore they must include the psychological, social and moral dimensions as well as the purely financial,” he said.
In conclusion, Prof. José M. González-Páramo celebrated the fact that “the markets are becoming active.” “The structural reforms are advancing, although the state of the Spanish economy is still complex,” he said, adding that “the reforms have been announced and are in place but they urgently need to be completed.” He added that we need to be aware of the key economic debates: How to stage an economic recovery without credit? “It’s possible, but an economic recovery without credit is slow and fragile,” he said.