The 36 graduates of IESE's 8th Global Executive MBA Class donned caps and gowns to receive their degrees this week at the commencement ceremony held on the school's Barcelona campus. The event featured remarks from keynote speaker Johan Schroeder, former CEO of the Danish medical technology firm Radiometer.

Giving a lively opening speech was Global Executive MBA graduate Matt Donnelly from the United Kingdom, who said, "The passion of our teachers, the unrelenting drive of the administrators to consistently deliver the necessary environment for harmonious learning has been awe-inspiring."

Schroeder stressed that, as a manager, teamwork will always yield the best results, over individual efforts. For this reason, he advised the new graduates to consistently solicit and utilize the knowledge of their subordinates in the workplace.

"All teams consist of individuals with very different background and experience," he said.

For this reason, he urged them to understand different cultural approaches in management, drawing upon his own experience in Japan and the United States.

Also speaking at the event was IESE's Dean Jordi Canals, who said that, despite the economic global downtown, "this is mainly a time of opportunities. A good time for MBA graduates to bring their entrepreneurial spirit to fruition."

He underscored the importance of optimism in the face of adversity: "Hope springs from the conviction of the transformational power of the human spirit, noble aspirations, ideals, hard work and perseverance."

The director of the Global Executive MBA program, IESE Prof. Eduardo Martinez-Abascal, congratulated the graduates - all working professionals -  for completing the rigorous 16-month program:

"IESE awards you the MBA degree with pride, and I am sure you - graduates - and your friends and family share this pride with us. I am sure you will all do great things, both individually and collectively," said Martinez-Abascal.

"Never give up that spirit of service that many of you have perfected over the course of the program. Give yourselves in service to others, expecting nothing in return."

The Global Executive MBA is a highly international general management program for professionals, featuring modules on three continents. The program is globally diverse in terms of content, faculty and participants. This year's graduates came from Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.