Harvard Business School commemorated its centenary and IESE Business School (University of Navarra) its 50th anniversary in a joint celebration at IESE Madrid on January 11.

The event, attended by Harvard Business School Deputy Dean Carl Kester and IESE Dean Jordi Canals, brought together MBA students from both schools to hear eminent Spanish business leaders share their experiences of globalization in the non-financial and financial sectors.

In his welcoming address, Prof. Kester, HBS Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, praised IESE as a model for management education in a globalized world.

"One of the most distinctive and impressive features of IESE is how big a global footprint it has," Prof. Kester said.

"We from Harvard are always astonished when we look at a map of the world and see all the places you could put a little flag marking where an IESE program is offered."

"In this era of globalization IESE has become a model and an inspiration to all of us in management education who are striving to increase our global reach."

Prof. Kester said that a joint celebration was very fitting given the schools' long relationship.

He said that on joining the Harvard-IESE Committee five years ago he had first discovered the extent of the long and fruitful relationship between the schools, going back to 1963 when the committee was formed to help IESE launch Europe¿s first 2-year MBA program.

The committee, which still meets annually, was "a terrific mutually beneficial arrangement."

"We learn as much about what is going on in the world of management education as we are able to impart as advice to Dean Canals," Prof. Kester said.

Prof. Kester said the schools shared a common mission: "which is really nothing less than to change the world and help make it a better place in which to live and work by educating leaders worldwide."

Dean Canals said that Harvard was the reference point for IESE.

"If we asked our faculty, probably most would confirm that the greatest intellectual, academic and professional experience that we¿ve had over the years has been the one from Harvard Business School."

Dean Canals said Harvard continued to contribute to IESE's evolution, including the development of its very successful Executive MBA and Global Executive MBA programs, IESE's leading role in the birth and development of many other business schools around the world, and in collaborative ventures to provide executive education programs internationally.

"We not only congratulate the HBS community for your centennial, we also want to thank you for having been for so many years a reference standard for us, a great source of inspiration and learning, and a wonderful and very privileged source of friendship," Dean Canals said.

Prof. Kester and Dean Canals' addresses were followed by two panels on globalization.

The first panel, covering the non-financial services sector, was comprised of Cemex Spain CEO Ignacio Madridejos, Ferrovial Servicios CEO Santiago Olivares, Puig Beauty & Fashion Group Executive President Marc Puig and Todovino.com founder Gonzalo Verdera. IESE Professor Pedro Nueno was the moderator.

The second panel, addressing globalization of financial services companies, consisted of Bankinter former CEO Juan Arena de la Mora, ING Direct General Manager César González-Bueno, Grupo Santander Chief Executive Alfredo Sáenz and Banco de España (Bank of Spain) Deputy Governor José Viñals. The moderator was IESE Professor José Manuel Campa.