Anna Del Llano

IESE Business School

“I am calm and at the same time very active. I Love people!”

Hometown: Barcelona, Spain

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a very relaxed and responsible person. That is why so people might get surprised to find out that I would never miss a social event with my friends. I am very social and I get on well with all kind of different personalities. Another fact that can surprise people who do not know me very well is that I love climbing and other adventure sports.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Barcelona (UB), Pharmacy

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Pfizer, Senior Drug Safety Officer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In 2016, I was working and studying for a master’s degree at the same time. It was not easy to do both while also maintaining an active social life. In addition, given the Spanish economic crisis, my contract was temporary. Therefore my professional future was uncertain. In October 2016, I moved to the UK with a new job and I had to adapt to the new job, country, and culture. Despite the difficulties faced, I have enjoyed the journey as I have learnt and I have also grown both personally and professionally.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why?Determination. My future classmates that I have met so far have a clear goal in mind and they will spend the time and energy necessary to achieve it. Even if they do not know what they want to do after the MBA, they are determined to find out and I am sure they will; this is their goal. They are very driven and they spread their enthusiasm to others.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? One of the main reasons why I chose the IESE full-time MBA is the focus on personal development. IESE can provide the tools to learn about yourself which in turn will enable you to be a good leader in the future.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The healthcare club is of great interest to me, given my passion for the pharmaceutical industry.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Although I love my current job, it is a very technical position and, after 3 years, I have reached the learning threshold. I have always been passionate about learning and growing. An MBA will be a big step to further develop my career and gain a more holistic understanding of business.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I spoke with people that have done an MBA in the past to learn about their experience and to assess if it was worth it.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Full time MBA at ESADE.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? For each particular school, I tried to speak to as many people as possible who had done or were doing the MBA. I also attended the events organized by the schools which are a great opportunity to discover how would be the life in campus and what is the profile of other candidates for that school. Apart from the personal advice (which to me is the most valuable), I also looked at the school values, ranking of the school and the companies that recruit in campus.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was probably when I attended the open day. I had the opportunity to attend a class and get a sense of what it would be like to be an MBA student.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I want to continue working within the pharmaceutical industry because I am passionate about science and I feel proud to be part of an industry that can make a positive difference to people’s lives. After the MBA, I would like to participate in a rotational development program at an international pharmaceutical company, preferably a Big Pharma (such as Johnson and Johnson or Novartis).

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years’ time I see myself assuming a global leadership position in business development. With regards to location, I will most probably be in Europe (although I am open to working in other places, depending on the job offer).