_ESADE ALUMNI RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY. WOULD YOU CHARACTERISE THE ASSOCIATION AS YOUNG OR MATURE?

ESADE Alumni is now in a period of significant expansion and growth in which we are prioritising three activities: first, to keep giving added value to alumni through networking, to provide knowledge refreshers, and to support alumni in their careers; second, to keep giving added value to society by expanding Alumni Giving Back; and third, to keep giving added value to ESADE, contributing to realise its vision, prestige and public profile.

_YOU’RE ON A ROLL. WHAT’S MORE, ESADE ALUMNI AND THE ESADE FOUNDATION HAVE RECENTLY JOINED FORCES TO EXPAND ESADE’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND. WHY ARE YOU SO HYPERACTIVE?

The key to ESADE’s future success is not merely its ability in academics and teaching, but rather its ability to attract top talent. The objective of this programme is to raise funds that will allow ESADE to gain access to the world’s best talent by removing the barriers presented by the cost of tuition or by an individual’s personal economic situation.

_WHAT ROLE DOES ESADE ALUMNI PLAY IN THIS DONATION PROGRAMME?

It plays two roles. First, ESADE Alumni has worked with ESADE throughout the design process to get alumni involved and get feedback from them. And second, it has developed a marketing and awareness-raising campaign targeting the alumni community in order to achieve the best possible fundraising result.

_CONVINCE ME TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROJECT.

As an alumnus of ESADE, you must value the way in which ESADE and its network have contributed to your career and your life. If the outcome is positive, giving to the scholarship programme is socially responsible, and a very beautiful way to give back to society what you have received. I think you should want for others that which has been good for you, and what better way to do this than to help others gain access to the same opportunities. 

_BUT DON’T YOU THINK ALUMNI ALREADY GIVE ENOUGH TO ESADE IN THE FORM OF THEIR ESADE ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP FEES?

Membership fees go towards supporting the alumni network, an essential asset both for alumni and ESADE. Contributions to grant and scholarship plans enable us to attract the best talent, something that benefits the high standards and prestige of ESADE, in addition to being of greatest interest to alumni.

_STILL, I DON’T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAYING ESADE ALUMNI’S FEES AND MAKING A DONATION TO THE ESADE FOUNDATION.

It’s really easy. As I explained earlier, both contributions help to improve ESADE’ quality and value.
 
Supplemented by funds raised through sponsorships and advertising, the ESADE Alumni membership fee finances the Association’s activities. This funding enables us to consolidate our position as one of the world’s busiest alumni networks, organising over 600 events every year. It also means that we can continue to develop our networking and refresher activities through more than 25 functional and sector-specific clubs, 30 international chapters and 10 regional clubs in Spain, as well as being present on the web, the online NexusAlumni network and ESADE AlumniTV. With more than a 40% increase in participation in the Association’s activities over the last three years, and with membership figures now in excess of 30,000 members, these activities benefit not only ESADE alumni but also the rest of ESADE and society at large.

_WHY DOES CONTRIBUTING TO ESADE ALUMNI BENEFIT ESADE?

Today, we know that one of the critical variables taken into consideration by students when choosing a business school is the strength of the school’s alumni network. Having a powerful, global, well-connected and active alumni network is a factor of competitive advantage for ESADE. This is a vision that we share with ESADE’s Director General and Fundació ESADE’s Board of Trustees. ESADE Alumni contributes substantially to ESADE’s social involvement: It is a member of Fundació ESADE’s Board of Trustees and also promotes faculty and alumni relations. The result of this shared vision is a close collaboration between ESADE and ESADE Alumni that is highly beneficial for both parties.  

_AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MAKE A DONATION TO ESADE?

Donations to ESADE Foundation also cover other needs, and this is an area to which ESADE Alumni is fully committed. Designed to help talented but financially disadvantaged students gain access to ESADE, these initiatives are also intended to strengthen research and continue to include exceptional professionals among the School’s faculty members. Those who value the privilege of having studied at ESADE and belonging to the ESADE Alumni network are those who will best appreciate the need to support talent and research activities in the absence of financial constraints. 

_ALUMNI OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES ARE VERY ACTIVE IN MOBILISING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CAUSES SUCH AS SCHOLARSHIPS AND RESEARCH. DO YOU THINK THAT ESADE ALUMNI ARE CAPABLE OF REACHING SIMILAR LEVELS OF SOLIDARITY?

I’m convinced we’ll be able to mobilise ESADE alumni. It’s true that we don’t have a very strong tradition in this regard, so we have to make an extra effort in terms of communication. Our alumni, in turn, have to make an extra effort to reflect on the importance of the project. I think we have the foundation upon which we can develop, within the alumni community, a culture of support for scholarships and research, which in the medium term can be transformed into one of the institution’s most important competitive advantages.  We will all be contributing to the programme’s success: And as there are a lot of us, and because we believe in what we’re doing, we’ll make sure it succeeds.

GERMÁN CASTEJÓN
ESADE Alumni President

Lic&MBA 1981. I have met several of my best friends at ESADE. For more than 20 years I worked for other people, in the financial industry, until becoming my own boss at age 42. As President of ESADE Alumni, I try to contribute to the progress of ESADE and its alumni network. The accumulation of success and money does not make us better people, but the will to help those less well off does. The world will be a better place if we can extend the culture of giving back to society. I am an optimist. I believe in people and in the strength of a sum of individual actions.

“GIVING TO THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME IS VERY BEAUTIFUL WAY TO GIVE BACK TO SOCIETY WHAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED”

"I THINK WE HAVE THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH WE CAN DEVELOP, WITHIN THE ALUMNI COMMUNITY, A CULTURE OF SUPPORT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND RESEARCH"

"CONTRIBUTIONS TO GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIP PLANS ENABLE US TO ATTRACT THE BEST TALENT, SOMETHING THAT BENEFITS THE HIGH STANDARDS AND PRESTIGE OF ESADE"