Adolfo Ibáñez University and ESADE Business & Law School recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of their joint Multinational MBA (MMBA) programme in Miami. The strategic academic alliance between the two schools has transformed the vision of more than 300 business leaders, executives and entrepreneurs in Latin America and offered new strategies and tools for facing competitive and changing environments. To commemorate the programme’s tenth anniversary, the two institutions brought together more than fifty students and alumni from the ten graduating classes at the Adolfo Ibáñez School of Management in Miami. Over the course of the two-day celebration, various talks were given by experts and high-profile speakers, including Amado Philip de Andrés, Regional Representative for Central America and the Caribbean at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Ernesto Uscher, Partner and Managing Director at the RBL Group.

In his welcome remarks, Mauricio Villena, Vice Dean of the Business School at Adolfo Ibáñez University, highlighted the value of executive education that focuses on change in the business world: “This is a basic principle that we want to foster in our students; we want them to operate successfully and to contribute to innovation in the global economy.” According to Prof. Villena, the current business environment, which is “increasingly interconnected and complex”, requires “leaders capable of redefining business and making a positive impact in the contexts where they operate”. He added: “To be truly global, it is essential to establish alliances with other institutions and to collaborate closely with business schools in various regions of the world.”

Digital transformation and its impact on business

Professor Luis Vives, Director of the MMBA at ESADE, commented: “After ten editions, the MMBA has more than met the expectations of those who have passed through its classrooms, transforming them into better leaders and optimising their executive skills.” Prof. Vives led a session on digital transformation and its impact on business models. His presentation focused on the latest trends and innovative strategies for taking advantage of opportunities created by digital disruption. “In digital transformation, technology must be the means, not the end,” he commented. “Therefore, culture and employee involvement are essential.” In a landscape characterised by the paradigms of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (known by the acronym VUCA), Vives stressed the importance of innovating at great speed: “If everything seems to be under control, it means you’re not going fast enough.” Prof. Vives also discussed the challenges presented by the new business models introduced by companies such as Uber, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple, which are affecting multiple industries. He also challenged companies in Latin America and Spain to take the lead in technological innovation and to anticipate the needs and experiences of the future by strategically orchestrating bold business models that will have a positive social impact.

Professor Ariel Casarín, Co-director of the MMBA at Adolfo Ibáñez University, gave a talk on value creation in political settings. “A complex and constantly changing political context forces entrepreneurs who want to navigate a competitive environment to have an in-depth understanding of the institutional structures, the political actors and the value of their companies so that they can make decisions in public spheres,” he commented. The celebration of the MMBA’s tenth anniversary also featured talks by Adolfo Ibáñez University faculty members Álvaro Espejo and Rodrigo Moreno.

10th anniversary of the Multinational MBA

A decade ago, Adolfo Ibáñez University opened its campus in Miami – the Adolfo Ibáñez School of Management – with the introduction of the Multinational MBA. This programme was the first MBA taught by a Latin American university to receive accreditation to award an official postgraduate degree in the United States. This disruptive programme, taught jointly by ESADE and Adolfo Ibáñez University, was designed for top executives working in Latin America. The 15-month programme is divided into eight weeklong on-site modules every two months at different locations around the world (Miami, Barcelona, Madrid, Santiago, Silicon Valley, Shanghai and Beijing), thereby covering all of the essential geographic regions for today’s executive education. MMBA graduates receive a double degree from Adolfo Ibáñez University and ESADE, two internationally recognised educational institutions that are consistently ranked in the top three business schools in Latin America and the top seven in Europe, respectively, in the best-known international rankings. 

The programme brings together a large network of executives from multinationals and family businesses as well as entrepreneurs, representing more than 15 Latin American countries. Over the course of ten editions, the programme has trained top executives from organisations such as Banco Santander, Expedia, DHL Global, Walmart, Forwarding, AON, LATAM, Cemex and Masisa, as well as entrepreneurs and heirs to Latin American family businesses, making the MMBA an international hub for top-tier business professionals.