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“Luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet and merge.” François Marie Arouet (Voltaire)

PAS Forum Interview with Carlos LosadaE-

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What about you?

The Portrait

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Plural thinking

This month’s personality

Cyan salon

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Colaborations:

Xavier Busquets (What about you?)

Rhian Owen (Remembering… Wayne Traylor)

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Language Advisory Design art direction:

Sintagma, Edicions Corporatives Imprent:

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Editorial board:

Katherine AcostaCesar ArjonaIvana CasaburiGema CastelAnna CockroftAlbert DíazDavid Fernández-ManzanosXènia Guàrdia

Ana LabazuyJosé Antonio MengualSusana MotillaAdela NebotNatàlia PérezSusana PérezAna Solá

Last winter, a concern was raised amongst all the other reflections and proposals presented to improve staff and administrative personnel’s lives at ESADE, a concern shared by almost all of us: how difficult it is to find people and those in charge of a specific area, even within a given service. This is due to the increasing number of staff and our multi-campus reality. In addition to the inefficiency and time wasted by this situation, it is also clear that our quick growth is making us all unfamiliar with the range of services and people that make up the ESADE community.

This is how the idea came about to carry out a transversal project in which each service would use a homogenous model to talk about its mission as well as its functions and the roles that each of its individual members carry out, all through an easy and intuitive format. After several weeks in which the different services demonstrated a great deal of interest and made significant efforts, the first PAS Forum was held last Friday, October 1st, in the Fishbowl in Building 2. Twenty-five different services offered a presentation of their activities and content, each using a unified criteria and the media available.

The project’s first goal was thus achieved: for the ESADE community to get to know “who does what” up close and in an interactive, fun and dynamic way, contributing not only to raising our awareness about how the organisation works but also having a good time with people we rarely have the chance to meet. We hope to fulfil the project’s second though no less important goal in the next few days: “hang” and update all the information about the PAS Forum on the intranet, the aim being to also have this information about “who does what” available online.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that helped organise this event: it would not have been possible without your time and energy.

From guessing… to knowing.

PAS Forum or “Who does what?”

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sOn a day like today...1959 (15th October) Severo Ochoa, Spanish scientist, and Arthur Kurnberg, American bio-chemist, receive the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

1986 (17th October) The International Olympic Committee announces Barcelona as the winning candidate for the 1992 Olympic Games.

1945 (24th October) Creation of the United Nations Organization

1959 ESADE’s official inauguration.

What about you?

The Portrait

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Plural thinking

This month’s personality

Cyan salon

CREDITS

This magazine is printed on recycled paper

3What about you?

““Our Department collaborates

in teaching and research activities with other ESADE departments, with other systems departments in Europe and the United States, and is also active within the industrial sector

The mission of the Department of Informa-tion Systems Management is to generate and share knowledge on the different strate-gies available for adding value to informa-tion systems and technologies in the field of business.

The Department consists of eight first-tier professors: Xavier Busquets (Director of the Department), En-ric Colet, Josep Lluís Cano, Josep Rucabado, Ramon García (Director of the 2nd cycle of the Undergradu-ate in Management Programme), Feliciano Sesé, Joan Rodón and Jonathan Wareham (Vice-Dean of Re-search) and our departmental secretary, Rosa Vilano-va. There is also a broad second tier of professors, professionals and executives who deliver specialised courses. When _untitled invited us to present the De-partment, we thought about taking a picture of our first- and second-tier professors, which would also in-clude professors Lluís Soldevila, Jordi Ferrer, Fran cesc Alcaide, Esteve Almirall, Xavier Castillo, Iñaki Pozo, Xavier Paradell, Teresa Careta, Santiago Miralles, Jor-di Nicolás, José María Añón, Jordi Escalé, Jordi Tardà, Iván González, Joan Ramon Mallart, Lluís Vera and Pau Contreras; the idea behind this being to stress the diversity of our Department.

Our team delivers material on most of ESADE’s academic programmes: the Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor in Law; the MBA; the Pro-fessional Masters and Executive Educa-tion – such as the AMP, EMBA and GEMBA programmes – in which we jointly partici-pate with Georgetown in the Bangalore (India) module; and the PhD programme. The Department is actively involved in re-search and scientific output. In 2008 and 2009, we published 10 articles in presti-gious journals (known in academic circles as ‘high-impact journals’). In this area, our department specialises in digital platform strategy and business networks and, as a result, forms an active part of the BuNeD re-search group (Business Network Dynamics), in which Professors Rodón and Sesé are involved. Our research areas also extend to global systems management, innovation and technology strategy, living labs, digital cities (with a European project) and technological innovation in banking services.

The Department is also active in educational innova-tion including the introduction of technological innova-tion simulators, Professor Colet’s participation in DIPQA and the introduction of digital platforms for educational purposes. Other significant areas where contributions are being made include business intelligence systems (BI) and information systems in the public and health sectors.

We believe that systems and technologies will play a key role in understanding business in the 21st century. In addition to the emergence of business models whose essence is technology, the world’s current 1.7 billion PCs and 3.7 billion mobile phones have shown this: in other words, understanding technology as a source of wealth creation not only in developed countries but also in developing countries. This impact should be ad-dressed from a multidisciplinary perspective. As a re-sult, our Department collaborates in teaching and re-search activities with other ESADE departments, with other systems departments in Europe and the United States, and is also active within the industrial sector. We believe this to be the best way to continue adding value and building the future.

Department of information systems management

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“The effort we made to further ESADE’s own pedagogical model was very important”

Carlos Losada“

“ESADE is an institution whose cause is worth serving: educating people, creating knowledge and serving as a centre for debate on key topics

What do you remember from the day you took over as Director General?At that time, I felt the weight of the re-sponsibility I had just accepted despite having thought about it repeatedly be-fore taking on the job. I had the feeling that “I wouldn’t know how to do it well.”

I was worried about our future chal-lenges: how to overcome them and, es-pecially, how to create the management team. Many of those responsible for the different units were ending their terms, and the majority had already told me that they preferred not to continue.

I remember that a lot of people asked me to give greater importance to our in-ternational projection, and that’s what I did. I began “agreeing” to everything. I didn’t have a lot of criteria. Juan José Brugera, the President of the Board of Trustees, helped me a lot. I think that I, and ESADE, too, owe him a lot…

I also remember the investment cere-mony, held in the Fishbowl. Many of the expectant faces in the crowd that day went on to become, little by little and with all my gratitude, key supporters of the “continuity and change” project we began that day.

How has Carlos Losada lived these past 10 years?It has been a true privilege and a great honour. ESADE is an institution whose cause is worth serving: educating peo-ple, creating knowledge and serving as a centre for debate on key topics (for both individuals and societies) such as

the economy, improving companies and organisations and law. It is, like I said, a privilege and, in addition, enormous luck on my part.

It’s also true that, over these years, there have been moments of incred-ible tension, exhaustion, concern… But there has also been a lot of teamwork; constant small and big steps forward; moments when I’ve noticed enormous support and affection. Without doubt, weighing the good and the bad, I still think it was a true opportunity and a true gift for which I have to thank all of those involved at ESADE. Now, I’m also happy to be the “former Director General”, from my position as professor.

How did your day-to-day life change af-ter assuming this responsibility?The change was radical. I remember days that started at 8 in the morning with working lunches in between and ending with dinners or other events I had to attend. On those days I would get home at midnight or one in the morning.

Carlos Losada doesn’t need any introduction. The ESADE Director General these last ten years has kindly granted us this interview at the outset of a new stage in his life.

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oritising is fundamental as a manager, and this has not been my forte.

What fundamental milestones do you remember from your mandate as Direc-tor General?It’s hard to pick just a few. For me, the effort we made to further ESADE’s own pedagogical model (what the DIPQA rep-resents today organisationally) was very important. It was one of the many assets we inherited, and it was our obligation to keep it “up-to-date”. I also remember smaller milestones we achieved in our efforts to give greater weight and priority to research.

Similarly, the internationalisation of the MBA programme was, for me, a constant source of good news, and I am deeply grateful to all those who have made it possible. The consolidation of the Madrid campus, the extraordinary suc-cesses of ESADE Alumni, the good rela-tionship and concerted efforts with the Society of Jesus… all of these are small and big examples of success over these years. But, there are also other water-shed moments, almost anecdotal, which are important to me: professors who I held in great esteem and, over the years, decided to come to work at ESADE; the small, constant increase in demand for our programmes; specific publications in prestigious journals by ESADE research groups.

What was your greatest challenge and your greatest achievement?The biggest challenge was making the set of all those “involved”, the ESADE stakeholders, united around a shared project and all with a healthy sense of ambition. And do it with respect and con-

sistent with ESADE’s past and all it had accomplished. For me, being invited and listened to in certain forums, due to our pedagogical excellence, our research, or our specific message, makes me feel very satisfied.

What positive or negative aspects would you highlight from this period?Amongst the positive elements, having moved forward on our internationalisa-tion and the creation of knowledge; hav-ing grown both quantitatively and quali-tatively; having further developed the ESADE identity…, always understood not as my own achievements but, clearly, as the work of the set of people who are probably reading this. The executive, in this case, the Director General, without doubt contributes, but certainly merits not even the twentieth part of what’s at-tributed to him. And, in any case, even if only that small percentage, I truly feel proud to have been able to contribute to all of these achievements.

I would also highlight a lot of negative as-pects: tensions, some resolved well, oth-ers not well enough; a lot of homework; overexertion by others…. The magnificent Director General we now have should an-swer this question because she now has to battle with all those things that weren’t done well or that weren’t resolved well enough, adding these to all the specific challenges of her mandate.

What was the day after you left your post like? How did you feel?The first day and the day after, and even today, I’m enjoying a sense of freedom which, at times, I can hardly believe. I wake up in the morning with a lot of freedom to do one thing or another. To-

day, being an ESADE professor is a gift, though not without its challenges and tough moments. In addition, the new management team, who is doing so well, still makes me feel proud. What more can I ask for? Some have told me that I’ll feel the need to lead and manage again. It’s possible, but it’s certainly true that from September 1st to today, that hasn’t been the case, not even a little bit.

For me, despite generally working a lot of hours during the day, it was a big change, especially because it reduced the time available for my personal life, my family, friends… and also in terms of freedom. I hardly had any time for myself, to be able to think, meditate… The obligations are infinite, and this changed the relatively orderly life I had lived until then.

It’s also true that I have probably done worse than other Director Generals be-cause it’s harder for me to prioritise. I al-ways have the sensation that, with a little extra effort, you can do right by someone else, and that is not true at times and, without doubt, it is an error globally. Pri-

“

“For me, being invited and listened to in certain forums, due to our pedagogical excellence, our research, or our specific message, makes me feel very satisfied “

“Amongst the positive elements from these ten years, I highlight having moved forward on our internationalisation and the creation of knowledge; having grown both quantitatively and qualitatively; having further developed the ESADE identity…

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We also asked her what job she would like to be in at ESADE in three years’ time, to which she replied that she would like to be in any job as long as she could have the same level of collaboration that she had right then. Today, as the new Director of ESADE-ELC, we’ve come back to visit her and ask her a few more questions.

In your new position, do you feel you’ll have the same level of collaboration as you had back then? Yes, definitely. Although I have to confess that with over a hundred language teachers, I haven’t gotten round to meeting everyone personally yet. It’s one of the first tasks I’ll score off my to-do list; and it’s right up there at the top.

How does it feel to be the new Executive Director of the ELC? I have the satisfaction of knowing I’ve got a team that’s got a vast amount of educational experience under their belt and which delivers an extremely good service. This makes me confident that we’ll be able to evolve and overcome any challenges we come across in the future. And, at the same time, we’ll have the responsibility of leading a strategic unit through the current socio-economic climate.

How do you imagine the Executive Language Center in five years’ time? As a benchmark for comprehensive language solutions. We have three main pillars: On the one hand, the open courses for the general public and companies. Here, I think we’ll be able to provide a complete service to local companies to enable them to open up new markets around the world, providing support beyond just language classes and building ‘bridges’ between cultures, and vice versa: We’d be opening the doors to the Spanish market. We also have a responsibility to Catalan society: To prepare young graduates and professionals for the

challenges they may well encounter in their international careers at a global level. On the other hand, there’s the ‘internal’ services offered to ESADE’s other units: By working together more closely we’ll be able to add value to the objectives of each programme as well as to students’ profiles. In the Business School’s programmes, for instance, we’ll be integrating aspects of communication strategy and personal and intercultural skills development into our language courses. The same will apply to law courses, depending on their needs. I think language classes are the ideal setting for promoting, on the one hand, skills development (we’re seeing

this in both degree programmes, where we’ve already started working in this field and where we could go so much further) and, on the other hand, they’re also ideal for incorporating syllabuses that don’t seem to fit into other subject areas (for example, adding information about Spain, etc., to international Masters programmes for international students). And, last but not least: the Language Advisory Service, which I see as an essential part of the journey from research to publication, accompanying faculty and researchers from the first to the last word. How would you like to be remembered at ESADE? Hmm, that sounds a bit like looking back nostalgically, and, at this point, I think our eyes should be firmly on the road ahead; looking towards the goals and challenges awaiting us as an institution. Anyway, I wouldn’t like to be remembered in any special way. I’d like people to be able to see how successful ESADE’s project of change and evolution has been and how we have all taken part in helping to shape it.

Thanks for talking to us and good luck in your new job. Thank you. The truth is it’ll be a major challenge; but at the same time, I’m really looking forward to it.

Conny Hübner New Executive Director of the Executive Language Center

Conny Hübner is the new Executive Director of the Executive Language Center (ELC). She replaced Ramon Aspa, who has now taken over as Corporate Deputy Director General. We had a chance to get to know Conny a little better in one of our feature articles in issue 11 of _Untitled earlier on this year. Among various other snippets of information about herself, she told us back then that she has been working at ESADE for over 12 years, that she was at the time co-ordinating the German and French Departments and, for our more inquisitive readers, that if she were a song she’d be Calling You.“

“I have the satisfaction of knowing I’ve got a team that’s got a vast amount of educational experience under their belt and which delivers an extremely good service

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The ceremony to welcome Dr. Eugenia Bieto as the new Director General of ESADE

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants” (Isaac Newton, 1704)

Despite today’s rapid-paced world, where everything stops being news just one hour after it’s launched, I have heard this same quote twice in the last two months, amazed how relevant it still seems today de-spite having been uttered for the first time more than three centuries ago. The first time I heard it, it was used by a giant, Dr. Bonet, and the second time was by Eugenia or Dr. Bieto, our new Director General, de-scribing herself as an anxaneta, the person standing atop the castells or human towers.

I feel truly privileged to have lived her nomination process so closely, from the front-row next to Sandra, Eugenia’s secretary. We have lived through very emo-tional moments all these months, but, without doubt, the day she took possession of her post was the cul-minating moment. All that week, the excitement filled the office, though Sandra had contradictory feelings. She was very happy to start a new phase as Secretary to the Director General, while also feeling sad about leaving all of us behind: her colleagues and bosses. On Friday, September 3rd, she showed up a little more

better world; success in making ESADE an academically vibrant community and the best place for professors to carry out their research and teach; sharing pro-tagonism with the Law School in projecting ESADE towards peda-gogical excellence and innova-tion; and a decided commitment to expand the campus in Madrid.

Luckilly, there are a lot of us on the team because this is a major challenge and a very ambitious project!

Good luck to you both, Sandra and Eugenia!

dressed up, very happy to accompany Eugenia on that special day. However, she kept busy, without stopping, her nerves about to get the best of her.

When we sat down at the ESADEFORUM and saw Eu-genia come out, Sandra’s eyes shined with satisfaction though on the verge of tears. There were true giants on the stage, and, when Eugenia began her speech, we did in fact see her like an anxaneta that had just topped the tower and waved to the crowds, confident in the base holding her up while looking towards the future as the team leader.

Seen from below, we felt a part of the group. She transmitted a sense of security while describing the project in which we felt included: the creation of a global brand based on the values with which ESADE was founded; research as a priceless source of knowl-edge with entrepreneurship, social responsibility and innovation as priorities; CSR as a differentiating val-ue and with which to contribute to the creation of a

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More than 100 donors including alumni, faculty, and administrative and service staff; more than 300 individuals committed to the campaign to fund scholarships for talented students. These are the preliminary figures for the Scholarship Campaign. Behind these figures, there is a committed team aware that its impact will translate into the creation of scholarships for talented individuals.

The Protagonists of the Scholarship CampaignIn First Person

“The personal satisfaction of being able to offer new opportunities”A quality education entails rather high costs: high-level and internationally renowned faculty, promotion of research, a new campus in Sant Cugat, continual improvement of our facilities, etc.

My daughter has received scholarships for two academic years, and I feel that we are now obliged to help provide this opportunity to others.

Mercè Saura, Master in Marketing Management 2008, Manager of ESADE’s Entrepreneurship Institute

“Talent needs to be polished in order to reach its greatest potential”I am convinced that, whether they personally make donations or not, most members of the ESADE community will accept and applaud ESADE’s effort to ensure that more people from different social classes can have the opportunity to study at this institution. This attitude is a result of the pride, satisfaction and good results that come with being a part of ESADE, as well as the gratitude that some of us harbour towards the institution.

Alba Rubio, scholarship holder in the 4th year of the Bachelor and Master in Business Administration

“Genius is 2% inspiration and 98% perspiration”Thomas Edison once said that genius is 2% inspiration and 98% perspiration. Similarly, talent combines inspiration with commitment and effort in that same proportion. I believe that the recruitment of talent is beneficial to the image that ESADE projects to society, which in turn benefits alumni as well as those of us who work for the institution. To voluntarily contribute to the scholarship programme is to make a moral commitment to ourselves and to talented people who lack economic resources.

F. Xavier Mena, Department of Economics, ESADE

“You will be an ESADE alumnus for the rest of your life”Obtaining an education is expensive, but tuition only covers a small proportion of what it actually costs to run a school. If we want to keep recruiting top talent – alumni, faculty, Career Services people – we need to ensure that there is sufficient funding to fairly compensate them. Schools need to be run like businesses, and if we want ESADE to remain a top institution, it needs to operate in the “green”.By donating to ESADE you’re directly and indirectly helping to create opportunities for a better future, by improving the accessibility to a top education for people that deserve it but can’t afford it.

Stacey Yuen, scholarship holder in the 2011 Full-Time MBA

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On behalf of the ESADE Foundation: Thanks to all of our donors! For more information about the Scholarship Campaign, visit:

www.movingESADE.com

“No candidate should be turned away from ESADE for economic reasons”Talent is the capacity to innovate, to solve problems by finding an optimum for everyone, to look further, and to lead projects and institutions. Talent is our raw material. Don’t think that giving 200 euros is going to make a tiny impact; think that the sum of numerous small gestures ends up having a large impact.

F. Jordi Fabregat, Department of Financial Management and Control, ESADE

“It’s time to think about all the talented young people”I didn’t want to study anywhere but ESADE, despite my lack of economic resources. It was my dream. I discovered that ESADE had talent scholarships, so I applied for one. When I was awarded a scholarship, I knew right then that my future was decided. I am grateful to all of the donors – both corporate and individual – who are committed to promoting talent.

Denis Ruiz, scholarship holder in the 4th year of the Bachelor and Master in Business Administration

“As soon as I heard about the Scholarship Campaign, I decided to become a donor”I was lucky: my parents, by making a great effort, were able to afford my education at ESADE. I was always aware of what a great opportunity that was, so when I heard about the Scholarship Campaign I decided to donate. I hope that lots of people decide to join this campaign so that other students can have the same opportunity that we had.

Judith Puigbó, EDIK ‘00, Open Program Manager, ESADE Executive Education

“Swinging for the fences while maintaining a high level of quality has a cost” I believe it is a good thing to support NGOs, since the missions they pursue set a good example and are highly necessary. But donating to ESADE makes much more sense than you might think. The money that you give helps remove economic barriers that might otherwise have prevented highly qualified students from pursuing an education at ESADE.

Arnau Baulenas, scholarship-holding student in the 2nd year of the Bachelor and Master in Law

“This was ESADE’s unfinished business”If ESADE wants to remain among the top schools in the international rankings, it must, like its competitors, start receiving significant donations. Otherwise, it will not be able to invest in a strong scholarship programme or in research. I have been fortunate enough to meet some of ESADE’s scholarship holders, and frankly, I believe them to be exceptional individuals. We have to keep attracting this sort of talent and diversity to our classrooms. Vega Sainz, Brand Manager, ESADE

“I believe passionately in scholarships”If you’re passionate about a particular project, it’s impossible for you to stand on the sidelines. When I found out about the Campaign for Scholarships, I knew right away I was going to get involved: I couldn’t just be a bystander. My involvement in the campaign is proof of my support for ESADE’s scholarship project and of my confidence in the talent that fills our classrooms.

Prof. Lola Bardají, Department of Private Law

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Sant Ignasi School of Tourism our new neighboursIn the last issue, we spoke of the spooky atmosphere in Building 2, which then lay empty. It was like a cross between The Alamo after the final assault and a terror film. Then, we expressed the hope that the building would soon be filled with peo-ple again. Well, I have good news – we have new neighbours!

Since the summer, the Sant Ignasi School of Tourism – TSI for short – (a centre pro-moted by the ESADE Foundation and federated with Universitat Ramon Llull) has been running on the first two floors of our beloved “drum” building. The move came because the School of Tourism needed space to accommodate its new Tourism and Hotel Management degree programme and the Bologna Master in Innovative Hospitality Management.

The TSI’s new premises will help it along the road from university school to URL faculty. The Sant Ignasi School of Tourism is an academic centre of excellence in the tourism and hotel management field and its scholarly activities fully comply with EEES. Among other things, it features a Tourism Documentation Centre, specialising in Tourism and Hotel Management subjects. For us in ESADE, the most visible part of the move will be the three hundred plus people working just across the street. This figure includes the management team, the faculty, support staff and of course the students.

The building no longer sends chills up one’s spine. What the ghosts will make of our new neighbours is anybody’s guess but as far as we are concerned, they are more than welcome.

Three years ago, a project was created and launched to promote diversity as a significant factor for our organisation’s growth and development. This is the ideal opportunity to remember everything that the project has represented for the insti-tution as well as the work carried out on five different facets of diversity at ESADE: gender, ethnicity, religion, generations and Faculty-PAS.

We have already seen how this concept has evolved in various editions of this magazine and discussed the efforts to reflect this idea of a reality which affects all the members of the ESADE community through diverse informational channels. Below is a small reminder of the different project stages already completed:

Diagnosis of optimal sexual equalityInternal diagnosis of sexual equalityCreation of the Diversity CommitteeCreation of work groupsDrafting the Plan for Diversity

To coordinate such an ambitious project, the Diversity Committee was created to design and implement specific actions aimed at achieving all the objectives de-fined at the project’s outset. And what better than to hark back and remember all the activities carried out?: creating spaces for diversity, the “ESADE in diversity” conference (March, 2010), and campaigns to raise awareness amongst staff and students, amongst others.

This Committee has to be a dynamic body, one that is capable of incorporating different points of view regarding diversity management. As such, its members are renewed periodically. For this reason, if you’d like to take part, please don’t hesi-tate to get in touch with us by writing to: rrhhpas@esade.edu.

For further information about the different activities organised or any other ques-tion, download the Diversidad ESADE 2007-2010 report which describes all the experiences over these last three years. You’ll find this report at:

www.esade.edu/sites/rrhhpas/diversidad

Diversity

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PAS Forum: Finding out who does whatThe PAS Forum was held on the 1st of October in the Building 2 Fishbowl. The forum is a cross-cutting project whose purpose is to reveal who does what in the ESADE community. It involves all PAS services and works on similar lines to the “Who’s Who” section on the Intranet.

Each service in the forum had its own stand and used its own materials and presentations to tell us what we needed to know in an engaging and original fashion.

The event was full of surprises and those attending took warmly to the idea.

Six prizes were awarded to bring the event to a close. Each prize covered a different category. The winners were:

• Practicality (the most useful activity for my department): Language Advisory Service

• Benchmarking (the idea most applicable to my department): Corporate Marketing Service

• Originality (the most original and well-produced panel): Economic-Financial Management Service (SGEF)

• Revelation (the most surprising and little-known activity): ICT Services

• Teamwork (the stand attracting most public attention and involvement): Economic-Financial Management Service (SGEF)

• Presentation (the most professional presentation): ICT Services

Last but not least, Forum-goers were served hors d’oeuvres so that everyone could chat about what had been learnt and seen.

We need to extend the project so that ESADE’s multi-campus nature and strong staff growth over the last few years does not hinder our day-to-day work.

It will therefore be important to keep the information on each service updated. This information will be available in the Who does what/PAS Forum section of the Intranet later this month.

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Buildings ESADE’s global brandThis is the third chapter of the section in which we discuss the construction of ESADE’s global brand. In previous publications, we have travelled to our Global Centers in São Paulo and Munich and taken a look at how they work from the inside. We’ve learned about the work carried out at each of the centres: market research for various programmes, collaboration on the development of certain programmes held outside of ESADE’s campuses (such as the GEMBA), admissions support services, informational sessions, visits to trade fairs, visits to news organisations to boost ESADE’s media impact, establishing relations with companies in the host country that may be interested in recruiting graduates or becoming Executive Education clients, etc.

In this edition, we want to tell you about a major milestone reached by ESADE in September: for the first time ever, we are listed among the top 20 in the world in all four of the leading rankings (Financial Times, The Economist, BusinessWeek and The Wall Street Journal).

We’re also heading back to Brazil and Munich to learn about another activity done by our Global Centers: ESADE’s social outreach.

ESADE’s social outreachOne activity carried out by the Global Centers is the preparation and development of social-outreach events that aim to position ESADE as a business and law school that is sensitive to the geopolitical changes going on in the world.

On 27th May, the Global Center in São Paulo held an event entitled A Global Perspective from Brazil, which brought together a group of one hundred executives from Brazilian and Spanish companies and featured a lecture by the renowned Brazilian geographer and geopolitics expert Demétrio Magnoli.

Dr. Magnoli’s remarks focused on the ways in which Brazil has expanded its area of political and economic influence beyond the borders of Mercosur to become an increasingly global player.

Before Dr. Magnoli’s lecture, participants watched a video summarising Javier Solana’s remarks at the ESADE Alumni Annual Conference in Barcelona.

The second part of the session featured a discussion of best business practices and Brazil’s economic prospects. The participants in the debate were Mauro Schneider, director of the investment bank Banif; Gustavo Chicarino, an executive with Accor in Brazil; Guilherme Tiezzi, a marketing consultant and expert in collaborative networks; and Nuria Pont, the president of the ESADE Alumni Brazil Chapter.

The inauguration of the São Paulo Global Center, in July 2009, featured a talk by Maílson da Nóbrega on key aspects of the international economic crisis and its effect on Brazil. In his talk, the former Brazilian finance minister also discussed the current trend towards Brazil becoming a superpower in the coming decades, not only as an industrial, economic and technological powerhouse but also as a geopolitical force.

Another aim of the Global Centers is to help promote ESADE Alumni’s chapters in various different countries. With the goal of positioning its host city as a regional hub, the Munich Global Center recently held a get-together for alumni who live and work in Germany.

ESADE in the rankingsSeptember saw the publication of two new rankings: the Financial Times’s ranking of Masters of Science in Management, which put ESADE in 10th place; and The Economist’s ranking of the top MBA programmes in the world, which had ESADE in 20th place, a considerable improvement over last year’s 29th place rating.

For the first time, ESADE is now rated among the top 20 by all of the leading international rankings.

The differences between the positions in each of the rankings is due to the difference in the variables taken into account in each ranking. For example, in some rankings graduates’ salaries are very important, while in others, the degree of programme internationalisation is the most important indicator.

Overall position MBA Executive MsC Education

Financial Times 19ª 7ª 10ª

BusinessWeek 6ª 4ª

The Economist 20ª

The Wall Street Journal 6ª

ESADE’s Eugenia Bieto, Ivan Bofarull and Alejandro Bernhardt with representatives of the Brazilian university, UNIFAE.

Franziska von Wiedebach chatting with two alumni at the meeting led by Munich’s Global Center.

Maílson da Nobrega, former Brazilian Finance Minister, explains the effects of the global crisis on his country.

15E-News

Núria RenartCSR Coordinator

What gets you up in the morning?While I find it a bit difficult to get up in the mornings, sunshine and good weather gives me the energy and inspiration to start a new day. I must admit it’s a lot harder on rainy days.Seeing my children grow up and helping them along life’s path is also a great source of inspiration.

How does ESADE inspire you?ESADE has always inspired rigour, trust, work, commitment and excellence. The School has also inspired me when it comes to the future, globalisation, innovation, diversity, responsibility, talent and many other things.

How do you think ESADE will help shape the future?I think that ESADE contributes people who are superbly trained, hard-working, who have deeply-rooted values and are strongly committed to making the world a better place to live in. That has always been the case and it will continue to be so in the future.

How do you see ESADE’s future?I see ESADE as an organisation that is ever more open to the world. Growing diversity in the student body and faculty means we have to act nimbly and steadfastly in meeting the new challenges that face us each day. The important things are enthusiasm, motivation and effort. The world opens its doors to those who do things right.

Óscar BistuéBrand Manager, MBA Marketing Service

What inspires you to get up each morning?In the morning I’m not very inspired. I just breathe and keep my thinking to a minimum until after I’ve had a shower. I start getting inspired when the children wake up.

How does ESADE inspire you?A really important life experience, a crucial fellow traveller, since we have spent the last ten years together, a time during which several of the most important events in my life have occurred.

How do you think ESADE will contribute to the future?I am confident it will produce responsible leaders. When I began to work in the Marketing Service, ESADE was using the slogan “Excelentes directivos, grandes personas” in its campaigns. I remember it with fondness, because it was the first campaign I was involved in. Although it might have been a rather naïve campaign, it was based on the values that ESADE should always try to maintain.

How do you see ESADE in the future?While the present is uncertain, full of troubles and with visibility reduced by volcanic ash, it a bit difficult to predict the future. But, in these times of uncertainty, I think it would be wonderful if institutions like ESADE could lead the way for change towards a fairer and more balanced economic and social model.

Josep SolerResearch Service Area, SIC (Information & Knowledge Service)

What inspires you to get up each morning?Lots of things, fortunately: from being happy with the person I share my life with, and having a job I like, to enjoying the small pleasures of everyday life, and the desire to learn something new each day. In reality, I have no problem getting up in the morning. How does ESADE inspire you?ESADE inspires my drive for self-improvement, commitment, prestige, self-imposed standards of excellence, quality, talent… and also inspires respect, vitality, colleagues, experiences, etc. How do you think ESADE will contribute to the future?Basically, I think it will continue to contribute knowledge in its different expressions, to help the world of business, economy and science in general to progress. How do you see ESADE in the future?As a global, knowledge-intensive institution, with internationally recognised values, which contributes a great deal of interesting things to the world… However, at the same time, I hope that this does not make it lose its essence, its character or its roots.

Óscar Bistué Josep SolerNúria Renart

16 E-News

Remembering… Wayne Traylor

I last saw Wayne at the ESADE Christmas cocktail in December. We hadn’t seen each other for many years, and I never imagined that I wouldn’t see him again. He died last May, after some years of ill health.

Wayne started working in ESADE in 1979 and retired in 2001. Like so many of us, he originally came to Barcelona as a student, and after discovering that he had become part of the landscape, decided to make Barcelona his home. After a period of time working in teaching and management positions at other Barcelona centres, he finally joined the ELC – then known as ESADE Idiomas – combining teaching with co-ordination work.

He was always extremely dedicated to his work. His classes were always impeccably prepared down to the last detail, with great care and attention to the professional and personal needs and interests of every individual student. He was also responsible for some of the more important projects at the time, including the programme of English courses offered to ‘la Caixa’ employees. In some ways, he was well ahead of most of us, who, at the time, were still working away on our typewriters, and he was among the colleagues who led the way in technological innovation by helping us with our newly acquired computers.

On a more personal level, Wayne will be remembered for his sense of humour, his hospitality and the fact that there was no limit to the time he was prepared to give to his friends. I was working on an MA dissertation at the time, and was very anxious to include a graphic representation of the results of a questionnaire. This is something we now do so easily and which we take for granted, but things were very different then, and Wayne spent the better part of an evening sitting at his computer at home, preparing the graphic for me. He was also a superb cook and host, famous for his Thanksgiving dinners at his masia in the Empordà. There was also the time when he lent his car for the weekend to a colleague whose car had broken down, or the time when he cooked gingerbread men for the same colleague’s children. Those of us who knew Wayne all have anecdotes like this to tell.

Almost ten years have now gone by since Wayne retired. Some of those reading this now won’t even have known him; but those of us who did, will miss him.

Rhian OwenTeacher in the English Department

Memorial Ceremony in Honour of Dr. Xavier AdroerA memorial ceremony in honour of Dr. Xavier Adroer, former ESADE Director General (1969-1988), was held at ESADEFORUM on 15th September. The ceremony was attended by friends and family along with members of the ESADE community who had known Dr. Adroer.

Throughout his life, Dr. Adroer was recognised for being an approachable and caring man, and this was reflected in the words of many of those taking part in the ceremony. A short presentation highlighted some of Dr. Adroer’s most memorable phrases from his numerous speeches.

Among the members of the ESADE community who joined the School’s Secretary General, Dr. Marcel Planellas, during the memorial ceremony were Ignasi Salvat, Lluís Pugès, Conchita Núñez, Carles Comas and Josep Miralles. Other friends and colleagues attending the ceremony included Raimon Martínez Fraile, M. Lluïsa Oli-veras and Eusebio Díaz-Morera. The closing address was delivered by the current ESADE Director General, Dr. Eugenia Bieto.

17E-News

This academic year, for the first time ESADE is offering a Bachelor in Law Programme, which is divided up into two sections, morning and afternoon, with classes in Catalan and Spanish, respectively.

105 students will be taught in the morning classes, and 69 in the afternoon classes.

Moreover, the academic year began earlier than usual, as a result of the adaptation of the academic calendar to the Bologna Process.

The programme introduces students to legal reasoning and language, and is complemented by an official Master in Business Law Programme, which prepares them for practising law.

The undergraduate degree involves a balanced but intense workload, which requires constant effort throughout the entire academic year. In addition to the academic development of the subjects in class, the students must devote several hours a day to individual study, to resolving case studies or to group discussions, library consultations, tutorials and participation in seminars.

The syllabus is designed to guarantee a solid generalist and multipurpose grounding in law, which ensures that participants are well qualified to access any of the multiple career opportunities available to them: working in law firms, the civil service (notary’s office registries, State Law, diplomacy, public prosecutor’s office), etc.

The programme aims to provide students with a solid grounding in law, along with economic and business knowledge, essential if they are to have a successful career in the legal field.

The course constantly focuses on the practical application of the knowledge acquired both in the classroom, from professors, many of whom are active professionals, and outside of the classroom through internships in law firms, public companies and institutions.

ESADE Law School has designed its own educational system, which combines different teaching methodologies in order to help develop a specific map of skills and competencies.

BACHELOR IN LAW

The programme is considered to be international thanks to the global perspective of its syllabus. Students are taught two foreign languages; they can take part in an exchange programme, which allows them to finish their undergraduate degree in a foreign university; several subjects are taught in English, and students can participate in a double degree programme with prestigious European universities.

Students studying for the Bachelor in Law and Master in Business Law degrees can attain the official dual qualification of a Bachelor in Law and Master in Business Law awarded by Ramon Llull University, considered the second best private university in Spain (according to the ranking in El Mundo published in May 2009).

In addition, students who fulfil the necessary requirements will attain the European Joint Degree in Business Law, an international degree awarded by Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), Université de Paris XII (France), Università Bocconi (Italy) and ESADE.

18 This month’s personality

How long have you been working at ESADE? 11 and a half years… How time flies!

When you started, what was your first impression about the institution?I loved the atmosphere; it was like being at university again though not as a student, participating instead in the organisation. I thought I would learn a lot by working here.

And your colleagues?My first impression was that this was a good place to be because everyone was very friendly and willing to help. With time, this perception hasn’t changed very much and I still think that there are very good people here.

Tell us about your best and worst experience at ESADE.I consider myself a positive person, so I’ve forgotten the very few negative experiences I’ve had at ESADE. In terms of the best experience, there are a lot of them, all related to colleagues and professors and how cared for I’ve felt at specific points in my life. The truth is that they have been like my second family on many occasions. Also, there’s all that I’ve learnt both professionally and personally.

Tell us an anecdote about something that happened to you at ESADE.I hadn’t been working for very long at ESADE, and, one day in the afternoon, three students who were preparing the graduation party came in. They asked for some scissors to cut some sashes. When they brought the scissors back they also gave me one of the Miss sashes which they made me put on! I turned all shades of red, but it was a lot of fun.

With which colleague would you like to have lunch one day?It’s difficult to pick just one… I’d love to have lunch with a lot of my colleagues, though in small groups. Those that know me are well aware that I don’t like crowds too much.

With which colleagues would you like to go out on the town? My funky/jazz classmates, María José Muñoz and Judith Mangrané.

What role/position would you like to hold at ESADE in three years’ time?I haven’t really thought about where I’d like to be in a few years, but I think it would be in the same department. I’m really happy and comfortable here. I’ve been at the same job for many years, but I see each new academic year as a challenge and I try to improve things and learn from mistakes.

As a person, what institutional value do you identify with the most?With the sense of responsibility.

Núria Fenero HernandoSecretary for the Department of Social Sciences Building 1

If you were a historical figure, you’d be… Marie Curie.

If you were a monument, you’d be… the Library of Celsus (Ephesus).

If you were an animal, you’d be… a cat.

If you were a sport, you’d be… any racket sport.

If you were a book, you’d be… the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

If you were a song, you’d be… the Jackson Five’s ABC.

If you were some forgotten corner of the world, you’d be… a cove on the Costa Brava.

If you weren’t you, you would have liked to have been… a famous architect.

Quick Questions

To whom would you like us to give this questionnaire?Pep Mària.

Cyan salon

CONCERT AGENDAOver the next few months, a wide variety of concerts are taking place across Spain. Here are a few of our recommendations:

GUNS N’ ROSESThe legendary band led by frontman Axl Rose, are travelling across the Old Continent on an eventful tour, which includes four concerts in Spain.Guns N’ Roses are coming to Spain this October as part of their “Chinese Democracy World Tour”, which got off to a great start

on 11 December 2009 in Taipei, Asia. On this world tour, the band are promoting their latest album, “Chinese Democracy”, which entered the charts at number 1 in thirteen countries and also topped the European Top

100 Albums chart. Guns N’ Roses – Axl Rose, Frank Ferrer, Tommy Stinson, Richard Fortus, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Dizzy Reed, Chris Pitman and the new member, the guitarist Dj Ashba – last toured the world between 2006 - 2007, playing 60 concerts in 26 countries and performing in front of over one million fans. Guns N’ Roses are back on the road again and are set to perform live in four Spanish cities this October (Madrid 9 and 10 October. Barcelona, 14 October).

LADY GAGALady Gaga is coming to Spain with her Monster Ball Tour 2010 playing concerts in Barcelona and Madrid. Lady Gaga is set to perform live at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on 7 December, and then at the Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid on 12 December. Lady Gaga’s 2010 live shows promise to be among the most exciting concerts performed in Spain this year.

Other concerts in November 2010 include:Friday 5 November Madrid, La Riviera: Blind Guardian

Saturday 6 November Barcelona, Sala Apolo: Pennywise + Strike Anywhere + A Wilhelm Scream

Saturday 6 November Barcelona, Sant Jordi Club: Blind Guardian

Friday 12 November Barcelona, Sala Razzmatazz 2: Therion

Saturday 13 November Madrid, La Riviera: Therion

Friday 19 November Barcelona, Sala Razzmatazz 2: Pretty Maids

Saturday 20 November Madrid, La Riviera: Pretty Maids

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19Cyan salon

Works in Building 1 (Part 2)Once again, while most of us were talking of going on holiday, men wearing enigmatic smiles and hard hats were carrying out works on Building 1. The idea was to make sure none of us would have the foggiest notion of where we were when we came back in the autumn.

Summer came and with it the annual spate of building work. The sound of pick and shovel echoed through the hallowed halls to put us all in holiday mood. People placed bets on who was next on the list for a visit from Bob the Builder. Others gazed at the piles of rubble, speculating on what had once stood there. Rumours and dust waft-ed through the corridors but we had to wait until the end of August to discover the fruits of the navvies’ handiwork.

Before the works in the Admissions cor-ridor, the service had moved to the area where the ESADE FORUM now stands. The spot had once been Reception and in re-cent years was occupied by the Academic Secretary’s Office. When the Admissions Service moved, everyone in the Secre-tary’s Office had to squeeze up. Suddenly, fifteen people found themselves packed into the space where ten used to work. It seemed impossible but just like those “How many people fit into a mini?” stunts, we pulled it off. The powers that be must have thought the office was some kind of TARDIS. One day you would find some-one’s leg just behind your ear, the next you would step into the waste paper bin just a few inches in front of your toe and so on.

Cupboards landed in the middle of our office just like the monolith in Stanley Ku-brick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey, rob-bing us of even more room. People would walk into the office and see nothing but a line of cupboards and fail to realise that the denizens of this shrinking world were cow-ering behind them. Sometimes we would hear a faint cry of “Is anyone there?” The

braver visitors would gingerly pick their way past the cupboards to discover intelligent life – us – beavering away in the shadow of the “monoliths”.

How we came to hate those cupboards! The sound of flesh and furniture grinding against the cupboard keys would often be followed by a shriek and a curse as some poor devil saw stars. Walking past them was the worst. More than once I wondered whether they were part of some other-world-ly experiment in gender re-engineering. On the other hand, it has to be admitted that some people are just more accident-prone than others.

One fine Friday morning, a “Health and Safety” man turned up out of the blue. Shooting a glance at the “monoliths”, he gave a passable impression of Mizaru – the monkey who sees no evil. “Well, it is only temporary”, he said with a grin, “Maybe it would be better if I came back next Fri-day” and without further ado, he shot off at Warp Factor 9 to find a worm hole into a more spacious dimension.

People coming into our office would ex-claim: “You are packed in here like sar-dines”, and packed we were. Someone finally promised us the key (to the tin, not to a cupboard) in June, telling us we would be moved to a classroom on the 1st of July so building work could start on the Sec-retary’s Office. We did not know whether to believe him but sure enough, people came to move the furniture out. This was followed by a packing frenzy and hauling boxes up to the second floor. It was true, at last we were being given pastures new!

Natural light, a floor all the same colour – who could ask for anything more? With a new office as spacious as a ballroom, those torrid tangles with the cupboards would become just a painful memory. We were delighted. When we came back from in the autumn, we would have a spanking new workplace.

Lo and behold, it came to pass! Walking into Building 1 after the hols was like step-ping into a new but not entirely unfamiliar world. The first things to grab our attention were the fire walls cladding the staircase, and the fire doors. They would not look out of place in a bunker but then safety comes first. I happen to believe that if there had been a fire in the old building, anyone trapped between Floors 0 and 1 would have been burnt to a cinder.

Everyone marvels at the new Secretary’s Office. It has changed out of all recognition and looks nothing like the primaeval pit of yore. Everybody has had something nice to say our new place and is swift to congratu-late us on a change for the better.

So there you have it, we have gone from hav-ing the worst office in the whole of ESADE (and quite possibly in the known universe) to having the best, most modern and spa-cious spot in Building 1. It is funny to watch those who see the new office for the first time. Surprise and concern flit across their faces as they peer through the force field (sorry, glass) searching for a familiar face in our brave new world. Once a voice channel is opened, they usually say: “Well, you have nothing to gripe about, have you?”, and the truth is that we haven’t.

20 Cyan salon

Maja Murko, who is working in the Registrar’s Office in Sant Cugat dealing with international exchange students, comes from Slovenia.

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Slovenia is a small country of 2 million inhabitants but with a big range of national dishes. Given Slovenia’s tiny size, its neighbours strongly in-fluence the country’s cuisine. Italy, Hungary, Austria and the former Yugoslavia have all left their mark and the locals have adapted foreign dishes to their own tastes. Each region has its own products or dishes that are found no-where else in Slovenia. Our traditional fare is pretty stodgy and a lot of lard, meat and flour are used in cooking.

The dish I want to share with you is one of the sweet ones, especially popular dur-ing festivities. It is called Prekmurska gibanica and might loosely be translated as Over Mura Moving Cake. The cake is a real calorie bomb. A bit of exercise is called for to burn the calories off.

Prekmurska gibanica

Ingredients:

The base dough: 150 g flour50 g of butter1 egg yolk50 g icing sugar and vanilla sugar

• Sift the flour onto a working surface, press a well in the middle, add knobs of butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla sugar, and knead together quickly.

The Strudel layer dough:500 g of floursunflower oil40 g lukewarm watersalt butter to sprinkle layers

• Sift the flour onto a working surface, make a well in the middle, add a pinch of salt, oil and water, mix everything together and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball, coat with oil, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes on a floured board.

The sour cream mixture to pour between layers, mix 70 dcl sour cream with 3 egg yolks and add:

• The Walnut layer: 250 g ground walnuts, some sugar, cinnamon and lemon peel.

• The apple layer: 1 kg peeled and sliced apples, mix with some sugar and cinnamon.

• The poppy seed layer: 150 g ground poppy seeds, 80 g sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon and grated lemon peel.

• The cheese curd layer: 1000 g full-fat curd cheese, 1 egg, 80 g raisins (put in rum to soften), 100 g sugar, salt, 1 pack vanilla sugar.

The procedure:

1. Grease the baking mould well, roll out the short pastry dough and line the base of the baking mould with it, then prick it gently with a fork.

2. Stretch the strudel dough and coat it with oil.

3. Pull it thinly over the baking mould so that the thick edges hang down over the mould. Cut off the edges to make 8 equal-sized sheets of strudel dough.

4. Place the first sheet of strudel dough on the short pastry dough, coat with poppy seed filling and sprinkle with butter and the sour cream mixture.

5. Then place the second sheet of strudel pastry on top, coat with curd cheese filling and sprinkle with butter and the sour cream mixture.

6. Cover with the next sheet of strudel dough, coat with walnut filling and again sprinkle with butter and the sour cream mixture.

7. Coat the fourth sheet of strudel dough with the apple filling and sprinkle with butter and the sour cream mixture. The Gibanica is now half-assembled.

8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 until you end up with 8 uniform layers.

9. Finally, cover with a sheet of strudel dough and pull it over the edge of the baking mould, then sprinkle with butter and cream.

10. Prick the Gibanica with a long needle again. Bake in a pre-heated oven or bread oven at 175°C for about 75 minutes.

11. Coat with sour cream and allow it to cool a little.

12. Cut into triangles, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

I suggest you eat this dessert in the afternoon, after you have digested your lunch. Only then can you sink one full serving!

21Cyan salon

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Congratulations from the _untitled team to the new mothers and fathers at ESADE and welcome to Daniela (Sandra Carqueijeda), Eva Elizabeth (Jan Brinckmann), Evelyn (Jatinder Jit Singh), Gonzalo (Patricia Gómez), Marc (Patricia Martínez), Nicolas (Jaime Castello), Sebastian and Gabriel (David Murillo).

Learning to… ... Human Resources Service

Tell us what you do at the Human Resourc-es Service (projects you have taken part in or are taking part in).In the Human Resources Service I work on various tasks in the Selection Area, and also help with the management of integra-tion plans in the Training Area. In the Se-lection Area, I publish job offers, organise educational cooperation agreements with universities (publishing offers, selecting CVs, updating the grant holder database, etc.) and sometimes also deal with Social Security procedures. One of our projects is aimed at the continual improvement of the management of the grant holders at ES-ADE, in order to ensure that they make the most of their time at our business school. We are currently planning to produce a questionnaire to assess the grant holders.

How have you evolved within this service?At first, everything was very new and, logi-cally, I needed more support from my in-ternship tutor in order to carry out the tasks. Now, I can work far more independ-ently and don’t need constant support; I only need a bit of help when I have a new job to do or when I have any questions. My relationship with colleagues within my service and others is particularly good, be-cause we have worked together for longer and help each other out. At ESADE I have met some really kind and highly competent people.

What have you learnt at ESADE that you did not learn during your undergraduate degree course?I learnt that the undergraduate degree

course is very different from the practicali-ties of the real world of work. During the de-gree course, we are taught too many theo-ries all by different authors, but we’re not shown how to apply them. I also learnt how to work both independently and in a team.

Did the ESADE internship help guide you in your academic or professional future? In what way?The ESADE internship was a great oppor-tunity for me to begin to specialise in or-ganisations. The Undergraduate Degree in Psychology at UB is very focused on clinical application, and there are very few subjects that deal with the area of human resources. So, ESADE has allowed me to discover what a human resources service is really like.

What are the advantages and disadvan-tages of working as an intern at ESADE?As we all know, ESADE is one of the most important and influential business schools in the world. So, working here provides a great opportunity to learn about how it works and to develop my career. The only disadvantage is that my faculty doesn’t allow us to spend more than 500 hours of the academic year working as an intern.

In a word, how would you describe your time at ESADE?Future.

Name: IRENE MIRA

Age: 20

Studies: 4th year of Psychology degree

School/University: Universidad de Barcelona (UB)

Service in which the internship is carried out: Human Resources Service (RRHH PAS)

Tutor(s): Trini Xifré/Marisol Tena/Yolanda Zambrano

Duration of the internship: One year

Daniela

Eva Elizabeth

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Sebastian y Gabriel

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Plural thinking22

Join now!AMICS DE LA GENT GRAN [FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY]COLLABORATION OPTIONS:

• Voluntarily offer your companionship to an elderly person who needs it.

• Help with professional voluntary work on some of the foundation’s projects and initiatives (consultancy, technology, training, etc.).

• Become a member (for just €10 a month, an elderly person can get out of the house from time to time and take part in activities such as social lunches, workshops, day trips, and so on).

• Take part in public awareness campaigns such as “Roses contra l’oblit” [Remembrance Roses] for Saint George’s Day.

Fundació Amics de la Gent GranCarrer Grassot, 3, 1º. 08025 BarcelonaContact: Albert Quilesaquiles@amicsdelagentgran.orgT. +34 932 076 773 F. +34 932 076 774www.amicsdelagentgran.org

VOLUNTARY WORk AT AMICS DE LA GENT GRAN Gerry SweeneyTeacher, Executive Language Centre, English SectionMy experience as a volunteer began when I learnt of the NGO through ESADE. The organisation was looking for “day volunteers”. I had decided some time before to give some of my free time to voluntary work so I called and they told me what they needed. I happened to be free so I decided to take the plunge.

The work consisted of driving the elderly to the pick-up point for the coach taking them on their summer holidays in France. I ferried them to the coach and drove them back home when they returned a few days later. I initially volunteered to ac-company the group during the holiday but the NGO already had enough people to cover the task. While my first spell of voluntary work was very brief – it came to just a couple of hours’ work – I hope it will not be the last.

The best thing about the experience was the camaraderie among the volunteers and the feeling of doing something worthwhile. I am sure I will lend a hand in the future and I encourage other ESADE members to do likewise. I believe that voluntary work makes society healthier.

VOLUNTARY WORk AT ACCIÓ SOLIDàRIA CONTRA L’ATUR (ASCA)Alfons MuñozProgramme Analyst, ICT Business and Services SectionA CSR meeting at ESADE revealed that ASCA needed help with computing. I had wanted to do voluntary work for some time but I just needed a push in the right di-rection. ESADE made things easy by establishing contact with ASCA through the CSR Department. Then I set to work.

We are currently rolling out a new computer programme which one of ASCA’s col-laborators wrote. The programme manages all the NGO’s activities and we continue to work with the organisation. We are also beginning new projects, which include remodelling ASCA’s web site.

My experience of working with ASCA’s staff has been very gratifying. They make you feel an important part of the NGO’s work. I will collaborate with them in the future and have no hesitation in recommending others at ESADE to do the same. I believe it is important to help such organisations in building a better world.

ACCIÓ SOLIDàRIA CONTRA L’ATUR [FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT]COLLABORATION OPTIONS:• Providing professional voluntary work, tendering specific help on a given

project (strategic consultancy, ICT support, tutorials on self-employment projects, etc.).

• Join the foundation and make its mission know to your circle of contacts.

• Take part in public awareness campaigns and other events concerning unemployment.

• Collaborate in funding a project and/or providing tutoring for a self-employment project.

Acció Solidària contra l’AturRiera de Sant Miquel, 1 bis, 3º. 08006 BarcelonaContact: Montse Moratóadm.accio@pangea.orgT. +34 932 179 997www.acciosolidaria.cat

Plural thinking 23

VOLUNTARY WORk AT FUNDACIÓN BALIAJúlia Rodríguez Head of Open ProgrammesMaría BalbásHead of Business Development, MadridWe found out that Fundación Balia was looking for volunteers through ESADE. The idea appealed, given that the foundation focuses on fostering the education of dis-advantaged children. We were also struck by the warmth of everyone in Balia.

We held a meeting with Balia’s managers within the framework of the collabora-tion agreement between the ESADE Foundation and the NGO. They told us of their need to recruit new members and we discussed tools for the job. Together with our Marketing Department, they drew up a template for receiving and sending online applications. We also tendered advice on how to carry out campaigns and exploit their databases. For Saint George’s Day, we made arrangements to provide all the young people with a free copy of Álex Rovira’s book La buena suerte [Good Luck].

In our case, the experience was the starting point for longer-term collaboration and we are currently examining new needs, which include internal staff training on com-munication and teamwork. Our voluntary work yielded valuable insights into the organisation and its staff and it was heart-warming to see the children’s smiles. We shall undoubtedly repeat the experience. The project is a worthy one since it fosters a fairer society and gives disadvantaged kids greater opportunities. We strongly encourage ESADE members to give it their unstinting support.

FUNDACIÓN BALIACOLLABORATION OPTIONS:

• Do voluntary work in the foundation’s programmes.

• Join the foundation, support its mission and take part in its activities.

• Help with professional voluntary work on some of the foundation’s projects and initiatives (consultancy, technology, training, etc.).

• Provide materials and equipment: computers, printers, educational materials, etc.

• Make the foundation’s work known to others (your family and friends, colleagues, etc.).

Fundación Balia por la InfanciaCalle Fereluz, 44. 28039 MadridContact: Ángela Díazangela@fundacionbalia.orgT. +34 915 705 519www.fundacionbalia.org

24

How long have you been at ESADE?I started on April 14th, 1977; I was 24 then, so, 33 years.

What did you do?My first job was as the secretary for a research project ESADE had been entrusted with about Spain joining the Common Market. It was very interest-ing because, at that time, it was something every-one was talking about; we all thought that it was a way to move Spain forward, out of the backward state the Franco dictatorship had left the country in. After that, I was what was called a secretaria de pasillo, literally a “hallway secretary”, which would later be called a Department Secretary. Afterwards, I dedicated myself heart and soul to the ESADE Staff Committee.

Tell us what you remember from those times.Franco had just died. They were tough times, but hopeful nevertheless because we thought every-thing would be better. I was having a hard time be-cause my twin daughters were 2 years old, and work-ing 8 hours a day was not at all easy. But the people I worked with, almost without exception, were nice, and that helps you a lot. There was a very pleasant atmosphere, with a lot of young people who wanted to work and do things, but also who wanted to have fun. Before joining ESADE I had worked for a fas-cist architect who came to work every day holding the right-wing newspaper, Arriba, in his hands. The change I found at ESADE was amazing: you could talk about anything to anyone and nothing hap-pened.

What was going through your mind on your first day, on your way to work?Well, I was really “scared”. The ESADE brand, as they refer to it now, was already very important, and I was happy to start working here while nervous about what I would find.

Do you remember your colleagues? And your bosses?I remember that one of the first people I met was Trini Xifré, who came to me and was a little like my cicero-ne. I really appreciated it. Also, the team researching the Common Market was a lot of fun, and my boss, Professor Pere Puig, was charming and friendly and it was easy to be with him. Lunch was especially in-teresting because we were all together: teachers and staff; it was a lot of fun. I was a secretary for faculty members for many years, and I always found this work to be very interesting. I’ve always enjoyed learning from the jobs I’ve done, and this was very important at ESADE.

What would you like to say to those you’ve left be-hind at ESADE? I haven’t completely left because I still want to be in touch, and this means that I like them and, in some cases, also, that I need them because they make me feel good.

What’s the best thing about the institution, some-thing that hasn’t changed?The human quality and, when someone suffers a cri-sis, the institution has helped them with the resourc-es within its reach. I’d like to think that this is still the case.

In your opinion, what has changed the most at ESADE since then?ESADE wasn’t so big before, and it was easy for eve-ryone to interact; now it’s impossible. For example, I really liked the meetings with the Director Gen-eral which were held every year and people could say whatever they wanted and nothing happened. Well, perhaps, he didn’t always like what was said, but there were no negative consequences. I started working at the age of 14 and I had never come across this degree of freedom. When I joined ESADE, values, as such, weren’t talked about that much, but they were very present.

Up close and personalThe colour you can never leave home without… Before, they were probably very bright colours; now, those that make me feel good.

The film or play you would have liked to have starred in… Out of Africa.

The song you would have liked to have written or sung… Mediterráneo. I think it’s perfect.

A historical figure you would have liked to have been… Any woman fighting to move society forward.

The book you would have liked to have written… Los aires difíciles by Almudena Grandes and The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing.

The city you’d like to get lost in… Paris, not that I know many others, the truth be told.

The place that most resembles how you are… My home.

Montse Zurano started working at ESADE 33 years ago as a secretary for a research project. She then went on to become Department Secretary while joining the Staff Committee at the same time, later assuming the latter’s presidency at the request of her colleagues.

Montse Zurano“When I joined ESADE, values, as such, weren’t talked about that much, but they were very present”

The Portrait

Tell us about the funniest thing that has ever hap-pened to you here.It’s difficult because there have been a lot. Anyway, I remember Christmas dinners when everyone “let their hair down” and we had a lot of fun. I’ve ridden a tan-dem bicycle along Bonanova; I pushed a professor’s Seat 600 to try and get it started, but it turned out he was out of petrol! I’ve been a part of some colleagues’ lives and, though life isn’t easy, we’ve helped each oth-er out, we’ve laughed and cried, we’ve tried to have fun whenever possible inside and outside ESADE.

What was your last day at ESADE like?I wasn’t feeling too well in terms of health, and that’s why it was hard for me to come to work at the end. Sin-cerely, I don’t remember the last day. At any rate, sign-ing the agreement regarding the move to the Sant Cugat campus after a year and a half of hard and intense nego-tiations was the most important thing I did at that time.

What is your best and worst memory of your time at ESADE?The best are those that have let me get to where I am, feeling the love of people; the worst, well, are some small and not so small examples of human pettiness which are unavoidable. And, naturally, it has been es-pecially hard losing colleagues.

And now, what projects do you have?First is taking care of my health because I’ve learnt that it’s a must for everything else to go well. Then, when I feel better, when I think it’s over, I’ll start a new phase. I’ve joined an aquagym class and a patchwork class. I also think that women never retire from household chores, so I’ll have more time for them: I like to cook, read, go to the cinema, be with my friends, and now I’ll have more time to be with my family. And since I’ve just become a grandmother for the first time, I’ll have more time to be with my granddaughter: I’ve already volunteered to take care of her during school holidays. Oh! And if I still can, I want to travel…

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