Meet the MBA Class of 2024: Anna Oliveras Torra, Esade Business School

Anna Oliveras Torra

Esade Business School

“A social, cheerful, curious and proactive person who lives life intensely.”

Hometown: Barcelona, Spain

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am always up for eating Mediterranean food (food in general honestly) and trekking in the Pyrenees.

Undergraduate School and Major: International Business at Universitat de Barcelona

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Learning & Development IRDP – Janssen (Johnson&Johnson)

What has been your favorite part of Barcelona so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA? Barcelona is a very livable city; it has the perfect proportions to easily walk around it, but it is big enough to have any type of entertainment and gastronomy – not to mention very different neighborhoods… The city itself has a mountain and beaches and that is fantastic. My favorite part of Barcelona is its dynamism: it is always changing: you never get to know it all. I also love the beautiful landscapes that can be visited as a one-day trip from Barcelona.

Aside from your classmates and location, what has been your favorite part of Esade Business School’s MBA programming and why has it been so valuable to you? I have absolutely loved every single speaker Esade has brought. All the professors at Esade made an effort to bring excellent speakers and relevant to their courses. This was really helpful since you could have insightful conversations and ask questions to find out things about a role, an industry, a company.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Esade? The Women in Business Club, of course!! Taking a leadership role on the club has taught me so much about developing projects, organizing, managing people and becoming a leader in general. Thanks to that, I have lived really memorable moments with my colleagues in the Board that have become good friends.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: There is no such thing, I see my career as an endless marathon in which the effort put in every day has led me to where I am today; I have big names on my CV (Amazon, RB, Schneider Electric) and have attended a very demanding school. I had an excellent education and was awarded with the opportunity to learn from a new sector (J&J, pharma).

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: It was becoming the President of Women in Business Club, being the 11th in the academic ranking, winning the Circular plastics 2023 case Competition… but especially being a support (also as a local) to my peers when needed.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? It has been the many moments of bonding with everyone in the MBA: the endless cases discussions of the first term, the classes in late Friday afternoons after a hectic week, studying exams together, the lunches in the rooftop, the ski trip to Andorra, the section dinners, the spontaneous nights out, clubs’ events, the MBAT, the Christmas party… There have been so many moments of companionship.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Esade MBA program? Give your best in the interviews and throughout the process and be prepared. Especially, be authentic and be yourself. If you end up at Esade it is because it was the right place for you.

And if you are lucky enough to be part of the Esade MBA this is my advice for you: It is absolutely worth the economic investment and the energy. The MBA has been one of the best (if not the best) year of my life. Make sure to have your priorities clear and moments to recharge, but try to live everything as intensely as possible! Once you realize it, it will be almost at the end.

DON’T MISS: MEET ESADE BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2024