The UPF-BSM holds its Annual Alumni Reunion 2024 under the slogan “Leading the Change”

The world of business, journalism, law and many other sectors are changing at a dizzying pace. While some companies are very aware of this fact, others are yet to notice the revolution that has been under way for several years now. This point was emphasized by Toni Raurich-Marcet, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of E-Booking, at the UPF-BSM Annual Alumni Reunion 2024, which was held on February 8 at the School’s campus, with more than 250 people attending the event, under the slogan “Leading the Change”.

Raurich-Marcet was the keynote speaker at the event, which also included four other shorter speeches. The Alumni Relations Manager of the UPF-BSM Ileana Alberto welcomed the attendees to the event, while the Director General of the  José Manuel Martínez Sierra shared some words to bring the reunion to a close. Running for an hour and a half, the rest of the event was hosted by the journalist and television presenter Sandra Mestres.

The tool that is generating most changes is, of course, Artificial Intelligence. On this point, the Managing Director of E-Booking explained that “it is not a particularly new technology. In fact, it has been with us for quite a few years now. What is changing, however, is the fact that before, it was the preserve of a few geeks and now it has become mainstream”.

Toni Raurich-Marcet went on to sum up AI in four words: “technology changing human beings”, emphasizing that it does not pose any risk. Just the opposite, it will be a great help, a kind of copilot that will guide us throughout our daily tasks. In fact, it is already doing so. The computational capacity of machines, which has increased considerably, undeniably enables an endless range of possibilities that are simply impossible for a human being to do, such as detecting diseases. So, will it destroy some current jobs? Without a doubt, but it will make up for it by creating lots of new ones. In any case, he concluded that “we are at the starting point as far as AI is concerned. Plenty of developments are on their way in the not too distant future”.

Alumni Pills

After the keynote speech, it was time for the Alumni Pills, in which four former students took center stage to share their insights, illustrated with examples and inspiring tips, each within their own specialist area of knowledge.

Firstly, Javier Donadeu, the Head of Brand Narrative at FC Barcelona, underlined “the importance of timing in marketing and communication campaigns” in the sports sector, giving two recent examples: when Aitana Bonmatí was awarded the Ballon d'Or as the best player in the world last October, and the announcement of Vítor Roque signing to the Club at the end of 2023 and early 2014. “Our sector moves in waves. Sometimes the forecasts prove correct and things go well, other times not. If the team loses, our plans have to change”.

The next graduate to share her insights was Jessica Sanchez G, a consultant at United Nations Climate Change, who advocated taking immediate action to tackle climate change. “Science is a question of facts, not opinions”, although sometimes, she explained, the narrative on climate change is focused wrongly and it makes it seem that the problem is too big to ever have a solution. However, “the solutions are real and represent an opportunity for all sectors: entrepreneurs, companies, architects, psychologists, chefs and a long list of other professions. These solutions will be the most important thing that happens in our generation. What are we waiting for?”, she concluded

Christian Rodríguez Fornos, the Chairman of Mutter Ventures, gave a speech entitled “Entrepreneurship for the Future: Keys and Lessons”, in which he gave some tips about running an entrepreneurial venture in this fourth industrial revolution. His advice can be summed up as follows:

• Acting with curiosity and critical analysis.
• Looking for prior validation of our ideas.
• Complementing our own limitations (i.e., not running an entrepreneurial project alone).
• Having shared goals.
• Being generous and transparent.
• Before starting an entrepreneurial project, asking whether there are customers and channels for our business, and designing an economic model.
• How to get investment: strategy, respect and resilience.

Lastly, Marta Illa Martínez, the Co-Managing Director and CFO of MiiN Korean Cosmetics, discussed the applications of big data in her company’s business strategy, an importer and distributor of Korean cosmetics. She explained that, in her company, they use big data to personalize the customer experience, define the retail expansion strategy to obtain the highest possible return, study the latest trends, gather information in real time, and conduct an effective financial analysis. In summary, she concluded that big data enables companies to make decisions and anticipate the business’s needs,

The UPF-BSM Annual Alumni Reunion 2024 came to a close with a lively networking event with music and refreshments, giving the attendees the opportunity to catch up with each other, before arranging to meet up again at the next edition of the reunion, which, every year, will provide a meeting point for inspiring and bringing together the entire Alumni community of the School.