Meet IESE Business School’s MBA Class Of 2021

Carlos de los Santos Escribano 

IESE Business School Class of 2021 at the University of Navarra

“Husband, family person, good friend, Atlético de Madrid fan, consultant, and always positive.”

Hometown: Madrid (Spain)

Fun Fact About Yourself: Regardless of the project – as long as it didn’t have a negative impact on the project or implied missing a meeting with any of our clients – I tried to come back to Madrid to watch Atlético de Madrid’s matches. Indeed, I somehow managed to have one of the seats from Atletico de Madrid former stadium, Vicente Calderón, in my living room.

Undergraduate School and Major: Double Degree in Business Management and Law at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Boston Consulting Group – Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I feel like my biggest accomplishment isn’t a single project or moment but my path so far. I feel really proud of managing to develop a career in a company that I admired as much as BCG and to have succeeded in different types of projects like human resources, or creating strategic plans for corporate transformation in oil and gas operations. I have been able to have great results in highly analytical cases. Having entered IESE is the icing on the cake that makes me realize that I am following the right steps to face any future challenge.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? You can see they have a hunger to conquer the world, they have restless spirits and they are looking forward to making an impact in a very collaborative environment. We had dinner the other day to get to know each other and I was really happy to see that my future classmates do not only want to grow individually but also as a class. This group spirit from the very beginning is very valuable to me.

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? I would like to raise an analogy here between the case method and studying law: while you are at college, you study hundreds of pages of laws and even the jurisprudence based on real cases. But when you are on trial, it becomes a completely different game.

I feel like it is why the use of the case method is so valuable and helps you become a better professional; you are “in front of the judge” every single time and learn by applying your knowledge in real-life cases.

Aside from classmates and cases, 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? Participating in the Young Talent Path (YTP) program two summers ago was determinant to me. The program gave me the opportunity to get to know IESE in-depth and to realize the quality of the values this institution holds up to. Additionally, it was really enriching to recognize the high academic quality of the institution. Overall, I had the feeling that I was “home” during this week.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am really looking forward to participating in the consulting club. I want to help my mates -as I am concerned many of them want to change their careers and become consultants.

I also want to be a part of anything that has to do with sports on campus, like the sports business trek. I am a huge sports fan and it will be a great opportunity to get to know how the industry evolves.

Furthermore, I would also like to get a deeper look at the data and analytics industry. Digitalization is already crucial and will become even more relevant for most companies. As a consultant, I would like to be fully prepared to support our clients in this matter.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? During the admissions process, I was asked to explain how I built relationships with people “I had little in common with” and how I valued their input. That was a really challenging question to answer because I see myself as a very sociable person. Still, that question made me recognize some situations when connecting with other people was a challenge to me.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I see the MBA as the essential milestone that will lead me to take the most important plunge in the consultancy career: from consultant to manager, which is frequently defined as the most difficult step because all your duties and responsibilities change.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None, after going to the YTP program, I saw so clearly that IESE was my place. It was my first and my last choice.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I needed to find a school that aligned with my values. That’s why I realized during the YTP that this school was a perfect fit. I am a very familiar person. I feel that at IESE, they take a lot of care of that aspect because, just like me, they know how important family is in the development of a person’s career. In fact, family is one of IESE’s core values. Additionally, I see myself living in Spain in the future, so I wanted to go to a school with a strong Spanish network. Again, IESE was the place for that.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Probably my defining moment in my life was my wedding. Taking the decision to share my whole life with my wife was, at the same time, the easiest decision and the greatest challenge. From then on, my family plays, even more, a crucial role in all my decisions.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? With my wife, I hope we have created a big family by then. From a professional point of view, I see myself still working in a challenging environment (maybe still in consulting) and enjoying every day of each week.