More than 3,000 IESE alumni from all over the world will meet in Barcelona on Nov. 7-9 to take part in the 2013 Global Alumni Reunion, which will focus on the theme: "Decide. Taking on Tomorrow’s Opportunities Today." The event will take aim at keys for advancing toward the future, with the participation of more than 20 prominent international speakers.
During the academic sessions and activities, the three-day reunion will cover six main trends:
1. Investing in people
Overcoming unemployment problems on a global level and improving education is not a task to be carried out exclusively by governments. Companies can also play a key role. Tackling this theme, Jan Muehlfeit, president of Microsoft Spain, will describe his experiences in the area from the perspective of the huge technology company.
2. Entrepreneurship with social impact
Beyond purely economic results, all business activities have a social impact. This transformational idea is what drives and inspires social entrepreneurs, whose main goal is to improve society. However, it is important to define indicators that measure impact and results. Valeria Budinich, vice president of Ashoka, and Dr. Pedro Alonso will describe projects they are leading in the social domain.
3. Internationalize with a local vision
In a world that is increasingly global, it doesn’t make sense to design business strategies strictly on a local level, since any change in the international markets can have immediate effects on local economies. José Manuel González-Páramo, professor of economics at IESE and José Viñals, financial counsellor and director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund, will address this topic by providing an in-depth look at the global economy.
4. Growing in a global environment
A changing and increasingly competitive environment is forcing companies to rethink their growth strategies, business models and regional focus. The experiences of Francisco Reynés (MBA '89), CEO of Abertis, and Bruno di Leo, senior vice president of sales and global distribution at IBM, will share fundamental keys for adapting in today’s context.
5. Strengthening the Industrial Base
Western economies are becoming more specialized in services, while emerging economies have focused on industrial production. Yet a strong manufacturing base continues to be critical for guaranteeing the competitiveness of a country, as well as its capacity to innovate. Following this idea, Siegfried Russwurm, member of the Board of Directors at Siemens AG and CEO of the Industry Division of the company, will discuss "the fourth industrial revolution" in which the company is currently immersed.
6. Redesigning the healthcare system
New technologies can be an important ally for healthcare systems for creating greater impact and efficiency. However, the interests of all stakeholders – industry, suppliers and patients – must be aligned. Dr. Keith Dreyer is one of the leaders in e-health in the U.S An expert in radiology, he will share his views at the Global Alumni Reunion on the challenges the sector faces.
If you are an Alumni member, you can already register for the Global Alumni Reunion 2013.