David Jiménez López says his EMBA has unearthed a passion for finance, and it's also helping him travel all over the world
It's rare to find your true calling in life, and rarer still to do so while in your twenties. Luckily for David Jiménez López, his Executive MBA at ESADE Business School in Barcelona gave him the opportunity to fall in love with finance.A software engineer by trade with additional background in telecommunications, David is now on the lookout for finance and strategy opportunities at his current company Grifols, a major Spanish pharmaceuticals multinational. He's hoping the soft skills and financial expertise gleaned from his EMBA will also open up opportunities at major consulting firms abroad.
Despite having a clear vision of his own future, David likes to live in the present. He's currently in the middle of his program, and is preparing for study abroad trips to China and the U.S., along with all the rigors of his own role at Grifols.
Why did you decide to pursue an Executive MBA?
Since childhood, I’ve always had a passion for numbers, which led to me starting my professional career in telecoms.
However, I rapidly realised that people management and impactful decision-making were things I wanted to explore in my career. My ambition for growing professionally led me to search for an Executive MBA in a prestigious school.
What made ESADE the right school for you?
Choosing a school that matched my career aspirations and personal values was actually really difficult.
Of course, I decided on ESADE, as it has a long history of academic and professional excellence, and espouses values such as integrity, learning from diversity, and sharing for the common good.
How have you gained from your EMBA experience so far?
ESADE has enabled me to discover my true professional passion – finance. Moreover, the core EMBA curriculum covers all traditional management disciplines, enabling me to link finance to corporate strategy, marketing, social responsibility and more. This gave me a much fuller appreciation for all aspects of business.
Which tracks and specializations have you taken?
I chose the finance specialization, which covers mergers and acquisitions, financial markets and debt.
I think these are topics that can provide me all the knowledge required to redirect my career. Furthermore, I’m taking a class in B2B sales management.
What has been your favourite class so far and why?
Difficult question!
Conceptually, my favourite class was Valuation and Corporate Finance Transactions. It covered management buy-outs and let me discover how a company’s value can grow by applying the right strategies so that the investor’s IRR is maximized.
On the other hand, if I appeal to my emotions, I’d say Finance Analysis and Planning, as it’s the class where my passion for finance and strategy was kindled by the teacher, Joan Massons.
Where do you plan to go for your study abroad periods?
So far, I’ve been on one study abroad week in France, where I went to HEC Paris and learned how to manage change and transformation in organisations.
We get three opportunities to study abroad at ESADE, and I’ll be going to Shanghai next to learn how to manage growth and development in emerging markets.
My last trip will be to Georgetown University in Washington, where I hope learning about the convergence between business and politics will enable me to conduct global business more effectively.
What is the value of an EMBA to a software engineer?
Software engineering is a very specific, systematic world that rests on design, development, implementation, testing and maintenance.
Software engineers are typically analytic and can think conceptually, which are very useful skills in pursuing an EMBA.
However, soft skills are as important in management as technical knowledge, and can only be gained through executive education, making my EMBA crucial.
What should Executive MBA applicants consider when deciding on a program?
You need to consider your future classmates. Make sure they have a similar amount of experience but come from a variety of sectors so that you can learn from them.
Also consider your professional situation in terms of studying time, as some companies may not allow you the time slots you need. For example, ESADE’s EMBA is highly flexible, making it easy to find a routine that fits in with your organisation. Finally, part-time programs are travel-oriented, so you should also consider this.
What are your plans for the future?
Even as I’m seeking a new career in the field of finance and strategy, I want to finish my Executive MBA to be better-prepared for such a change. I have spoken with my current employer, Grifols, and I expect to be relocated to their finance and strategy team.
However, I wouldn’t’ reject the opportunity to work for a ‘big four’ consultancy firm if the chance arose. Such an opportunity would help maximize my learning curve through acquiring experience in different sectors.
On the other hand, I am also considering moving away from Spain to seek better opportunities.
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.
