IE wishes Gong Xi Fa Cai!
IE wishes a Happy Chinese New Year – Gong Xi Fa Cai! May prosperity, success and health be
your partner during the Year of the Snake.
Besides academics: FUN!
Work hard, play hard and have fun – this is probably a statement every MBA student can sign. After long sessions of case discussions, presentations, negotiations, there is always time to enjoy. Watch the video from one of the sections of the MBA which graduated literally one year ago in December 2011.
Internships as integral learning experience at IE University
Internships are one of those parts of your university experience which definitely shapes you. You gain your first impression on your future profession – and hopefully you´ll like it! At IE University internships are encouraged during your studies and are embedded in the study plan of all degrees offered. Listen to Jaime, IE University Bachelor in…
DetailsJust in time – decision making in the supermarket
The Other Side | By Felix Valdivieso, Director of Communication at IE Business School Just as Just in Time could be either a very popular song or a production strategy designed to maximize business return on investment, Prof. Daniel Corsten could be either the most knowledgeable management professor around or the most enthusiastic person on earth doing what he…
DetailsSocial networking tips for companies
Social networking looks easy as an individual. You sign-up for the service you find interesting and contribute at your leisure, in your mood, expressing your views. For a company there much more considerations to make. In first place, you would need to define a strategy why you want to be active, how you want to…
DetailsWhat is IE University?
IE University, being already 5 years old, is getting increasingly popular for international students. With 80 nationalities on campus it features a unique environment for students who want to get most out of their university experience – and for older generations, this experience has been the most important of their lives. Get a first impression…
DetailsIs ethical banking possible?
The Saudi Spanish Center for Economics and Finance recently organized it’s Social Impact Finance Forum, to discuss the future of finance and alternative ways of funding. During that Forum academics, professional and finalists of the ‘What is out there’ competition explored whether a more ethical approach to banking is possible. The Saudi Spanish Center for…
DetailsInnovative work experience – IE Labs
All IE University students can begin to participate in IE Labs and the Start-Up Lab at the beginning of the academic year. Visiting and Exchange Students can join during the full-time period from April to June. A professor will lead each Lab to guide students through their work. Each Lab operates much like a small…
DetailsThe social side of business…
The 7th edition of the IE Social Responsibility Forum was held on November 23rd and 24th, and welcomed speakers from a number of companies including, Gabi Zedlmayer; Vice President of Global Social Innovation at HP, Maite Arago; VP and Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Grupo Vips, Stephanie Schmidt; Director FEC Mexico at Ashoka, and…
DetailsThe alternative to a 2-year MBA
Are you considering accelerating your career in capital markets or investment banking, or switching from other professional fields to finance? Do you see yourself as the future CFO – Chief Financial Officer – of a company? Are you interested in working as an entrepreneur with a firm supported by private equity, perhaps leveraging opportunities provided…
DetailsYou gotta jump!
The Other Side | By Felix Validvieso, Director of Communication at IE Business School Some time ago, a friend of mine said to me “you know, Felix, what I want around me are not incredible people, colleagues, friends whom I can brag about… but just pleasant people. You know, people who make your life easy,…
DetailsMoney is used to earn money – IE students in Ghana
Prof Marco Trombetta of IE Business School shares his recent executive development experience in Ghana. Cape Coast, November 2012. In a hot room where computers share the space with solar power charged lamps, Master in Finance students at IE Business School are asking questions to Veronica Kitti CEO of Alternative Sets of Assistance (ASA) Initiative,…
DetailsMicrofinance and the fight against poverty
IE Focus | By Maria Luque, Professor at IE Business School
Microfinance has proved to be a prime tool in the fight against poverty, but it is not enough to eradicate it once and for all.
Microfinance, namely the provision of financial services for people on low incomes, has taken giant strides since the 1970s. It provided financial services for some 200 million people in 2011 according to the Microcredit Summit Campaign, and now impacts the lives of around 1 billion.
Microfinance institutions face big challenges. One such challenge is the impact of the world economic crisis which began to show in 2008, and which, according to Deutsche Bank Research, has caused a deceleration in the growth of assets, a drop in profitability, and a greater risk for portfolios. Another is the excessive focus on profit and the accelerated growth of some institutions, without the necessary institutional capacities or control. Even so, the microfinance industry continues to grow steadily and has demonstrated that in the right conditions it is a key tool in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Until recently we focused on talking about microfinance as a tool that could lift people out of extreme poverty, promote production, and empower women, all of which are development Millennium Development Goals and indispensable factors to strengthen economic and social growth in developing countries. But growth and investment in assets are not the only things that access to financial services brings.
DetailsHow to create sustainable success through affinity?
Colombian entrepreneur Natalia Londoño is an alum of IE Business School’s Master in Sales and Marketing Management. She is about to head the opening of a new Becara Franchise in Bogota, which will be the first step in the firm’s expansion into Latin America. Becara has been operating in the field of design, production and distribution of furniture and interior design items for 44 years, and is now present in over 40 cities worldwide that include Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Istanbul and Jeddah.
You are heading the expansion of leading interior design retailer Becara in Colombia. Becara is now present in 7 countries, and the Bogota store marks the beginning of the firm’s operations in Latin America amid economic growth in the region. What made you decide to take on this project?
One of the main considerations was the contrast of Spain’s economic situation with what was happening in Latin America, particularly Colombia, my home country. Colombia is in the throes of expansion with a sustained annual economic growth rate of 4% in recent years, coupled with a trade balance surplus.
Coming back to Becara’s expansion in Colombia, Becara is a leader in the furniture and decoration sector. I met its founder in 2011, which coincided with a decision to return with my family to live in Colombia after twelve years in Spain. I was invited to get to know more about Becara, and the moment I saw the 22,000m2 warehouse in Valdemoro I realized that this was a great company with excellent potential in a country that is growing as fast as Colombia.
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