Leading Innovation with Entrepreneurial Mindset
Barcelona | November 23-25, 2026
Harnessing Open Innovation for Growth
Most organizations don’t lack ideas. What they lack is a coherent way to turn them into growth. Innovation is often handled in fragments: an innovation lab here, a startup partnership there, a pilot that never scales. Nobody owns the whole picture.
Leading Innovation with Entrepreneurial Mindset gives senior leaders that whole picture. Over three days in Barcelona, participants learn a process that works for any innovation opportunity: how to identify it, test it, measure it, finance it and decide what to do with it. They also learn what it takes for the organization to support that process: strategy, portfolio, governance and culture.
The program also opens a window onto the world outside the corporation: how ventures are financed, how investors think, and how startups and corporates can work together. Many large companies know this world poorly, and it is where much of their future competition and partnership is being shaped.
Participants practise the full cycle in teams throughout the program, from opportunity to evidence. They leave with a method they can reuse in their own organization, not just a set of frameworks.
Benefits. During this program you will:
1
Understand innovation as a system that connects strategy, portfolio, governance and culture.
2
Learn a repeatable process to move any opportunity from idea to evidence.
3
Discover how ventures are financed and how investors think, and what this means for your company.
4
Use innovation accounting to measure early-stage initiatives and decide when to continue, pivot or stop.
5
Explore corporate venturing and open innovation as ways to grow beyond the core business.Prototype rapidly with generative AI and present your work to an Innovation Board.
6
Prototype rapidly with generative AI and present your work to an Innovation Board.
Program Details
NEXT EDITION
On Campus – Barcelona
November 23-25, 2026
CONTACT US
Sonia Sainz | Program Director
+34 93 253 42 20
+34 699 423 834
ssainz@iese.edu
By the end of this program, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to drive innovation in your organization and apply this knowledge strategically to achieve competitive advantage.
- Innovation as a system. Why promising initiatives die between pilot and scale, and how to connect innovation with strategy, portfolio and governance.
- The world outside: venture financing. How startups are funded, how investors make decisions, and why understanding this ecosystem matters for corporate leaders.
- Deciding with evidence. Innovation accounting: measuring progress on uncertain initiatives and making disciplined investment decisions.
- Corporate venturing and strategic portfolios. How organizations build and manage a portfolio of innovation bets.
- Open innovation. How to work with startups and external partners to accelerate growth.
- From prototype to decision. Rapid prototyping with generative AI, pitching to decision-makers, and governing and transferring innovation inside the organization.
This program is designed for executives, entrepreneurs, innovation managers, R&D professionals, policymakers and consultants driving growth and innovation. It is ideal for senior executives in leadership, innovation, strategy, and business development who are responsible for driving strategy, growth, and transformation
Sandra Sieber
Academic Director, Professor of Entrepreneurship
Ph.D. in Management, IESE Business School, University of Navarra
Degree in Economics and Business Administration, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Mathieu Carenzo
Academic Director, Senior Lecturer of Entrepreneurship
MBA, IESE Business School, University of Navarra
Bachelor of Business Administration, Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d’Angers
Christoph Loch
Professor of Operations, Information and Technology
Ph.D., Stanford Graduate School of Business
Desirée Pacheco
Professor of Entrepreneurship
Ph.D., Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Colorado
M.S., Environmental Studies, University of Colorado
The program maximizes impact by combining multiple interactive and practical teaching approaches. The case study method is the primary learning methodology used in IESE programs, enhanced by other immersive approaches:
- Lectures: Foundational knowledge and theoretical frameworks.
- Case studies: Real-world examples to analyze and discuss.
- Workshops: Hands-on activities to apply concepts and tools.
- Guest speakers: Insights from industry leaders and practitioners.
- Online components: Pre-recorded lectures and readings.
- Innovation kit: An effective learning tool that fosters creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving.
- The Innovation Challenge: from Opportunity to Evidence. The Innovation Challenge runs throughout the program. Working in teams of four, participants apply each step of the process through a series of linked sprints. On the final day, teams take part in a three-hour rapid prototyping hackathon with generative AI. They then present their work to an Innovation Board and receive direct feedback.
Admissions Process:
- Complete and submit the online application.
- The Executive Education Department will email you to acknowledge receipt and provide further details on program dates, pre-program academic materials and bank details to submit payment.
- Proceed with the payment of the program’s fee. This is an essential requisite to access the pre-readings and participate in the program. Two weeks before the start date, participants receive an email with a user name to access the IESE Virtual Campus and pre-readings.
Fees
- Standard Price Book rate: €4,660*
*Register and enjoy a 20% discount!
The program fee is tax-exempt. Payment is required before the program begins and includes all academic materials and most meals. Please note that travel and accommodation expenses are not included.
Discounts are available for corporate agreements and multiple registrations from the same company. Space is limited and filled in strict order of reception so early registration is encouraged.
Payment Details
We accept payments by credit card or wire transfer.
Admissions Requirements
The Admissions Committee admits qualified candidates on a rolling basis as places become available. Executive Education Focused Programs have their own requirements, and all admissions are under the supervision of the Admissions Committee. In general, participants should have at least 10 years’ work experience and have held a position of leadership with significant responsibilities within the last 5 years. Although there are no formal educational requirements, admission is based on professional achievement and responsibilities within the organization.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received within 20 days of the program’s start date are subject to a payment of 25% of the program tuition. IESE reserves the right to cancel the current edition or modify dates up to 20 days prior to the scheduled start date. Under no circumstances is IESE responsible for any travel expenses incurred. Participants should consider purchasing travel insurance including cancellation coverage to protect against the unlikely event that the program is cancelled or their own inability to attend for personal or professional reasons.
Cancellation requests received within 3 calendar days of the program start date as well as those received during the program are subject to full payment of the program fee.
If interested in obtaining the IESE Executive Education Certificate:
- Complete, at least, 4 Focused Programs, in English or Spanish, within three years.
In addition to earning the IESE Executive Education Certificate, you will enjoy a series of other exclusive benefits:
- Professional guidance with an IESE adviser.
- 5% discount on any future Focused Program.
Getting to the Barcelona campus
Barcelona: AC Hotel by Marriott Victoria Suites 4*, Sansi Pedralbes 4*, abba Garden Hotel 4*, Ikonik Anglí 4*.
Executive Education Rankings.
