Former BBDO PR Manager Irene Rocha attained a holistic outlook at ESADE, which she then used to grow an e-learning start-up
Having worked for 10 years in Madrid, Irene Rocha knew that an Executive MBA (EMBA) was the next step she had to take in her professional career. Though she wasn’t unaccomplished by any measure.Irene was, by the time she started her EMBA at ESADE Business School in Madrid, already an experienced PR manager at BBDO, the advertising agency that supposedly inspired AMC's Mad Men. During her studies, she consistently applied her comprehensive learning to her role at Gamelearn, the world's leading game-based e-learning platform.
Now, Irene is going it alone, implementing her highly-developed business skills and assiduous work ethic to her own PR, Marketing and Communications company. And she has big plans for the future.
Why did you decide to pursue an EMBA at ESADE?
I wanted to do two things, the first being to pursue future managerial roles in sales and marketing within the consumer goods industry.
Step two of my career path was to leverage the knowledge and experience I would gain from my EMBA to start my own communication and marketing consultancy with a global management perspective.
I chose ESADE because they provided a learning model predicated on collaboration and participation, as well as a very well-sorted and cohesive international program, which is crucial in a globalized world.
Which tracks or specializations did you choose and why?
For the first 12 months of the EMBA we study the core content, but in the final four months we’re able to choose from a range of tracks.
I focused on Marketing and Communication, since this was already my area of interest and expertise, and believed I could benefit from the more specialized network.
How did you enable Gamelearn to grow in size so quickly during your time there?
Gamelearn is a start-up dedicated to creating video games that provide management skills training, improving qualities such as leadership, time management and negotiation.
I made a huge effort to educate society on game-based learning, and also designed and implemented our international entry strategy in the B2B segment.
In short, I helped Gamelearn achieve growth by recruiting a specialized, ambitious and motivated team. I think that having clear objectives and empowering each team member while monitoring them very closely using scrum methodology enabled us to expand rapidly.
Our results were spectacular. We increased our website traffic tenfold, developed a new product launch plan, collaborated with HR directors of multinational companies, and positioned Gamelearn as an industry leader. Now Gamelearn boasts thousands of clients from Burger King to Hyundai, and hundreds of thousands of satisfied users.
How have you gained from your EMBA experience?
My EMBA has proven a very important milestone in my life, and a decisive step in my professional career. I now have a much more global business outlook, and the EMBA has afforded me many new business and employment opportunities.
I´ve also been very fortunate to share my EMBA experience with a group of international and extraordinarily creative classmates with a wide range of values, experience and knowledge.
What is the value of an EMBA in the gaming/e-learning industry?
Completing an EMBA gives you a broader view of a company, and you can begin to understand realities from other areas.
The inherent value of an EMBA to the e-learning industry is that it helps you to understand the issues, realities and needs of different departments, apply your graduated business knowledge, and have a better and more holistic outlook.
What are you hoping to achieve with your own PR, Marketing and Communications company?
Throughout my years of experience I have acquired many professional contacts who value my performance. Setting up my own company at this tage of my career was the right move for me as I had developed a large enough network.
So far, they've proposed some interesting projects where I can get involved and add value. My next steps will be to strengthen my business with brand marketing, and associate with new strategic partners.
What should EMBA applicants take into account when deciding on a program?
It’s of huge importance that you know beforehand how you intend to profit from your EMBA experience.
Most of us decide to do an EMBA because we are looking for a career change, and even though an EMBA does push you towards that path, it isn’t enough on its own. You need to make the best of each class, teacher, alumnus, and moment to make the most of the program.
What are your plans for the future?
Currently, I want to invest my time into growing my own company. However, I would not say no to joining an organization that offers an interesting, challenging project and that brings me new contacts, experiences and an international outlook.
Student Reviews
Transformative Journey at ESADE Business School
My time at ESADE Business School has been beyond remarkable. From the moment of the application process, the staff has been super helpful and responsive on every single email! The faculty are highly engaging, the peers collaborative and the curriculum cutting-edge, encouraging me to push my own boundaries and broaden my understanding of business. With practical learning at its core, ESADE has provided me with crucial skills for success in the real world. Not only is this school an ideal place to develop yourself; it's also home to so many fantastic opportunities, friendships and growth. If you're ready for change and want to thrive in the business world then this is definitely the university for you!
Esade review
As I am just starting off in September, I do not have any hands-on information about the education or the university itself. However, I can tell you about the experience I have had with the admin staff, which was always extremely positive. As I am a scholarship student, I had some hardships with reserving my place as I needed to wait for the result of my scholarship application, otherwise, I would not have been able to attend the university. They kindly offered me to hold my place without paying which was a big help for me. Additionally, any time I had problems with the IT system or any administrative task they would always help me in a day or two.
Bachelor Business administration
ESADE University stands as a beacon of academic excellence and innovation. With its dynamic programs, world-class faculty, and vibrant campus culture, ESADE offers a transformative educational experience. From cutting-edge business education to a commitment to societal impact, ESADE surpasses expectations. It's a remarkable institution that nurtures tomorrow's leaders.
Excellent education.
ESADE is a quality university, the professors are the best in the area and this is evident in the student's academic progress. Additionally, the university is responsible for providing opportunities to access the world of work. It is a university internationally recognized for its quality and excellence. It is located in the best neighborhood of Barcelona.
Excellent teachers and classes and a superb international experience
If you are looking for a law specialization master's degree (LLM) in the non so traditional areas of law, and you are seeking for an international fully enriching experience, ESADE is your best choice.
ESADE started as a business school so the MBA and other business degrees are their core. Nonetheless, law education and in particular the specialisation master's (international business law and intellectual property and ICT law) are also on the top Europe's LLM of their fields. They combine an excellent program, with the best teachers available in Barcelona and with a more than enough amount of resources to study and help the student to get initiated in their career field. Also, this is the best international experience out there; personally, I got to share a classroom with other 25 students, where only 6 of them were Spanish, the other 19 including myself were a mixture of different nationalities, especially from Latin American countries.
What an enriching experience!
The program was super complete and touched on all the key points I considered important in a Master of Law, Intellectual Property and Technology. In addition, I was able to take advantage of business, communication, leadership and other disciplines, so important in the training of a complete and multifaceted professional. It is also great that all teachers are lawyers, so they can practice the knowledge they teach us on a daily basis. In this way, they are able to transmit theoretical knowledge to us with a much more practical approach, super useful for our future. In this way, we are able to penetrate the network of contacts in our areas, which can be extremely beneficial for our career.
I also believe that the University is really concerned with the students, in helping them in everything they need, which can be demonstrated, for example, in the current pandemic situation, since it has always tried to act in such a way as to harm the students as little as possible, providing the support and compensation that they considered fair.
In conclusion, I would like to thank ESADE for providing me with one of the best experiences of my life, in which I have made friends for life, and from which I leave with excellent academic preparation, ready to face the challenges of a professional career.
The online platform and the involvment of students and teachers
The online platform is very agile to work and gives you great flexibility to follow the program. Secondly, I was surprised by the involvement of students and teachers. This has made the program very interesting with links to extensions of the agenda. Quite a good surprise. I would clearly recommend it.
Great class cohesion, superb study location, super professors
I loved the class cohesion with plenty of international students from all over the world. Great to have that mix during a practical business project to do with the local economy of the Costa Brava.
Studying in Barcelona is simply amazing, and even though the university is not directly in the center, it is in a really nice part of the city with great views over the old town and the sea. I always enjoyed my walk from the metro station to the school.
The professors were nice and motivated, and as classes were small, it allowed a very good learning atmosphere.
Amazing experience!
The professors are qualified, passionate, and dive deeply into the topics while always making class engaging. Hands-on experience with companies to solve real issues - offering a great opportunity to apply the learnings and gain more relevant experience. The study tours and minor class trips are also adding value to the course, along with many career and social events, which help create a good environment. Would highly recommend!
ESADE Business School allows me to build amazing and long-lasting friendships.
ESADE Business School has successfully created an environment where engaged, open-minded, passionate and problem-solving individuals can proliferate both academically and professionally as they establish friendships with students/professionals from all over the world.
Career Pivot
I decided to pursue the executive MBA at ESADE after speaking with several alumni about their backgrounds and reasons for choosing this program. Coming from tech, I wanted to learn about other aspects of a company and get assistance in creating my own business plan. The open day was well planned and informative complete with a sample class and case studies. If you’re in doubt, I recommend you attend one of these events.
