Jérémie Meyer

Esade Business School and Law School, Ramon Llull University

“Curious and driven global citizen, my mission is to serve and make a difference.”

Hometown: Bordeaux (France) and Beijing (China)

Fun fact about yourself: I cook better Chinese cuisine than French food. My dumplings are on point.

Undergraduate School and Degree: BSc (Comparative Asia-Europe Studies) and MSc (Urban Governance) from Sciences Po Paris (France)

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Schindler Group, Group Project Manager at the Expo 2020 Dubai (UAE)

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Infosys, Bangalore (India)

Where will you be working after graduation? Impact investing, Still in progress

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: (Include school awards and honors)

• Co-Founder, Esade’s MBA Impact Investing Fund
• Nominee, Esade MBA 2025’s Student Leadership Award (to be concluded in April 2025)
• MBA Leadership Scholarship: 35% of MBA tuition fees
• Executive Vice President of the MBA Net Impact Club: Organised educational Climate Fresks workshops about climate change; leveraged skills to establish a lean structure and adequately forecast our club’s financials.
• Winner of the 2024 RSM Impact Investing Competition, organised by Rotterdam’s School of Management in November 2024.
• Winner of HP Large Format Printing’s Innovation Competition, organised by HP’s Large Format Printing business division in October 2024.
• Volunteer at the Impact Forum organised by Ship2B Foundation in Barcelona in November 2024.
• Founder of Esade’s MBA touch rugby team. Coached both the men and the women’s team for the HEC 2024 MBA Tournament, winning bronze medal as coach for the women’s team. Also organised an exhibition match with IESE business school in support of the UN’s international day against racism in March 2025.
• Pro-bono advisor for Open Cultural Center (OCC), a Greek NGO supporting migrants in their integration upon reaching Europe.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Without a doubt, my proudest achievement during business school has been kickstarting our school’s impact investing fund.

This journey began after participating in an MBA impact investing competition. It sparked a question in my mind: What if we created a student-run investment fund that provided invaluable hands-on experience while opening doors for future careers in impact finance?

Breaking into impact investing is notoriously difficult, especially for those like me without a traditional finance background. Driven by my passion for the field, I took the initiative to bring this vision to life. I started by gathering a team of like-minded students to conduct a benchmark analysis, then developed a comprehensive proposal, which I ultimately pitched to Esade’s strategy committee. After nearly nine months of work, the proposal was approved and I now look forward to implementing it. My hope is to bring this already to the upcoming cohort, so that 15 to 20 students can leverage this fantastic platform to drastically elevate their career opportunities.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Ironically, the proudest achievement of my career was a personal initiative that wasn’t fully implemented but still became my most transformative experience: shaping my creativity, entrepreneurial mindset, and my confidence in driving change.

While working at the Dubai Universal Exhibition for a leading elevator and escalator company, I was responsible for setting up an exhibition space visited by 1.7 million people. Amid the buzz of the event, I spotted an untapped opportunity: leveraging elevator digital signages for advertising in the rapidly-expanding Middle Eastern market.

Knowing that our headquarters was already piloting a similar initiative, I pitched the idea to our regional managing director and global leadership, proposing to establish a dedicated business unit in the Middle East. Securing their buy-in was a challenge, requiring multiple iterations to balance the opportunity with risk mitigation across all stakeholders. When I finally got the green light, it was a defining proof that I could turn vision into action.

I immediately got to work: developing a go-to-market strategy, building partnerships with global media buyers, launching pilot projects in prime locations across Dubai, and generating a seven-figure sales pipeline. The momentum quickly expanded beyond the region as international clients visiting the Expo began inquiring about bringing our solutions to their markets, pushing us to provide global quotations.

Although shifting corporate priorities ultimately prevented full-scale implementation, the initiative validated market demand and proved the viability of digital elevator signage in the region. More importantly, it reinforced my ability to identify opportunities, influence decision-makers and scale ideas into commercially viable ventures.

Why did you choose this business school? Considering the motto of our schoo isl “Do Good, Do Better”, I chose Esade because I wanted an MBA that wouldn’t just help leap my career, but also to actively challenge me in leveraging my skills for greater good. In a world where global warming accelerates and income disparities widen, business cannot operate in a vacuum. The Esade Center for Social Impact (ECSI) and the upcoming optional MBA electives on impact finance and social entrepreneurship stood out immediately. From the company workshops to the deep focus sustainability-related courses, the school builds concrete movements of responsible leaders. Ever since the start of my application, I already knew that I wanted to take part of that.

Beyond academics, the student-driven impact culture also reinforces Esade’s values. The various initiatives relating to sustainability, informal experience exchange or even diversity and inclusion represent an ongoing legacy where each cohort passes down a commitment to keeping a positively disruptive environment. Having just handed over the reins for the Net Impact club, I am proud to maintain the legacy left by our past cohorts.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Lisa Hehenberger, our professor for Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing, was my favorite teacher this year for her expertise as much as for her drive to efforts to reshape private finance.

Her story pivoting away from private equity, her research on creating systemic change and her leadership in the Impact space makes her an unquestioned authority on the topic and has greatly inspired me to build the next stage of my career.  Beyond the classroom, her mentorship played a pivotal role in shaping our MBA Impact investing fund. Her guidance helped refine our proposal, ensuring it was practical, scalable, and investment-ready. Thanks to her insights, we structured the proposal in a way that guarantees continuity and long-term viability for the fund.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Corporate Strategy with Professor Jan Hohberger was my favorite MBA course. It was not just for the engaging case discussions and the theatrical teaching style, but also for the way it fundamentally reshaped how I think about long-term business decisions.

Through cases like Disney, Bayer/Monsanto, General Electric, Renault/Nissan, and Alphabet, we analyzed how even the most successful businesses can fall into the traps of complacency and strategic misalignment. It was eye-opening to see how companies that once dominated their industries lost their edge mainly because of internal missteps, overexpansion, or simply losing sight of their core identity. One of the most striking lessons was that “synergies”, even though often seen as the holy grail of corporate strategy, can sometimes be a company’s downfall. The course reinforced that focus, consistency, and strategic discipline are far more crucial to long-term value creation than simply chasing diversification.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA tradition was to compete at the MBA Tournament (MBAT) in Paris. Organised every year by HEC Paris, the MBATs are Europe’s MBA olympiads where rival MBA schools battle in sports and cultural disciplines. Although Esade has a relatively small cohort of around 165 students, 96 of us went to Paris “en masse” to defend our colors on the pitch and through the depths of our lungs.

We worked hard throughout the year to prepare for the competition’s sports and cultural contests, and I took great pride in steering Esade’s touchy rugby teams, competing against the greats of Oxford, London Business School, or even Cambridge. My greatest moment was for our women’s team to win the bronze medal after so much work and months of dedication. Seeing their joy after the win was one of the best feelings and experiences of my MBA.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I wish I had prioritized networking more effectively from the start of my MBA. Early on, I was deeply focused on developing my skills, excelling academically and making the most of the student community. As a result, I initially viewed networking as something more optional rather than essential. Only later did I realize how critical it was for securing summer internships and full-time roles.

I eventually learned that networking is a crucial way to demonstrate genuine interest in a company, align with its values and showcase how you could be a great fit for their team by building internal alliances. Once I fully embraced it, this not only helped me land my summer internship but is also playing a key role in executing my jump into the Impact space.

What is the biggest myth about your school? For me, the biggest myth about Esade’s MBA is that it leads primarily to consulting roles, FMCG or entrepreneurship! While the MBA indeed incubates many aspiring consultants, global managers and would-be entrepreneurs, the reality is that the program opens for a much wider range of careers than I originally expected.

When I started the MBA, I was struck by the breadth of career acceleration programs designed to support students entering diverse fields such as social business, tech product management, healthcare, or even finance – industries I hadn’t originally associated with the school. I was especially impressed to see for instance philanthropic or international organizations sending recruiters to campus, to benefit from the transferable skills harvested within business schools.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I’d be lying if I didn’t mention how welcoming, vibrant and incredibly enjoyable Barcelona is. The city offers something for everyone, whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, a foodie, a padel addict or someone who thrives on art and culture. And the best part is that everything is just roughly 20-30 minutes away by bicycle or public transport.

For me, Barcelona became more than just a backdrop to my MBA: it shaped my lifestyle. My weeks were filled with walks with my dog through Montjuïc’s gardens, midweek sunrise cold baths and meditation sessions by the beach of Barceloneta and touch rugby or padel games in the evenings. And if we could spare some more time away from our desks during the weekends? We would hike in the Pyrenees or indulge in tapas-hopping in the city.

What movie or television show (e.g. The Big Short, The Founder, Mad Men, House of Lies)  best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it?  In my opinion, The Big Short best reflects the realities and excesses of business. While exposing how unregulated markets and unchecked risk-taking led to the 2008 financial crisis, the film also underscores that critical thinking, foresight and ethical standards are essential in preventing such crises.

Beyond that, the film highlights a troubling reality: in times of economic collapse, it is often the most vulnerable who suffer, while those in power remain relatively unaffected. This serves as a stark reminder of our collective responsibility as business leaders to anticipate risks and minimize negative externalities. For me, the film personally reinforced the importance of transparency and accountability in finance and business (something that needs more in terms of environmental compliance), while highlighting the importance to making impactful decisions that set the example and seek positive change.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programme? What insights did you gain from using AI? One of the ways Esade has integrated AI into the MBA program was by providing a fundamental understanding of AI’s technological stack and its impact across industries. Through coursework, guest lectures, and case studies, we explored how AI is disrupting traditional sectors such as pharma, supply chain and human resources, uncovering both opportunities and challenges.

However, the most eye-opening insight I gained was from our Racial (In)Justice elective course with Prof Rita Mota and Naomi Williams. We discussed then how AI, when left unchecked, can reinforce systemic biases and maintain structural inequalities. We notably examined then how biased training data in hiring processes, financial services, and law enforcement can perpetuate systemic racism. These biases, embedded in AI systems, highlight an urgent need for greater transparency, regulation and ethical oversight in AI deployment.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? While many classmates have inspired me throughout my MBA, my friend Sho Tsuneki stands out as someone I deeply admire. Balancing an MBA is challenging enough, but Sho managed to juggle becoming a first-time father, managing his entrepreneurship aspirations and excelling academically.

What I admire most about Sho is his unwavering discipline:

• Master of Balance: Sho embodies “Mens Sana in Corpore Sano”, maintaining a routine of early morning exercise, stretching, and meditation that keeps him energized and focused.
• Entrepreneurial Drive: While most of us focused solely on the MBA, Sho continued managing his business remotely from Japan while also on the lookout for other ideas locally in Spain.
• Unshakable Reliability: Becoming a father at the start of the MBA would be overwhelming for most, yet Sho never once let his responsibilities slip. He remained a steady and reliable presence in group projects and within our community.

Above all, Sho’s humility, kindness, and generosity makes him an amazing friend and classmate, and the kind of impactful leader the world needs most of.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1- Working in impact investing, may it be in development finance or with financing impactful initiatives.

2- Mastering Spanish so I can finally fully work in the language. As I am already fluent in French, English and Mandarin, this would allow me to move on my next language. I am leaning towards Portuguese, but Arabic and Italian are also on my radar!

What made Jérémie such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Jérémie has been a cornerstone of Esade’s MBA Class of 2025, exemplifying leadership, drive to change the status quo and an unwavering commitment to strengthening our community.

Firstly, and as mentioned in his application, Jérémie has had a handful of highlights during his MBA journey with us, yet his most significant contribution has been his role in kickstarting Esade’s first MBA Impact Investing Fund. Despite the scale of the challenge, Jérémie took a leap to gather people around him, formulate various proposals and eventually convinced our strategy committee to create a meaningful legacy for our future Esade students. His persistence, strategic mindset, and ability to mobilize others turned this vision into a reality, one that will continue benefiting future cohorts long after he graduates.

Secondly, beyond his leadership, Jérémie embodies Esade values, especially those related to Integrity, Respect and Pursuing Common Good. As Executive Vice President of the Net Impact Club for instance, he helped organize workshops on climate change, reinforcing Esade’s mission to develop responsible business leaders. His volunteering and organising events to support special causes demonstrates his commitment to improving the status quo.

Lastly, beyond academic and student association, Jérémie has been a unique community builder. As the founder and coach of the touch rugby team, he fostered a culture of teamwork, inclusivity and fun. His leadership led the women’s team to a bronze medal at the HEC MBA Tournament, an achievement that not only reflects his athletic dedication but also his ability to encourage those around him with enthusiasm. His nomination for the Class-Voted Leadership Award signifies the deep respect he has garnered from his peers, thanks to his exceptional leadership, inspirational qualities, and ability to drive meaningful change.

What truly sets Jérémie apart is his global mindset and relentless drive for personal growth. Fluent in French, English, and Mandarin, he has worked across China, Dubai, India, Kenya and Europe, making of him a true global citizen keen to bridge people and communities together. Through our daily interactions, one can feel his caring and approachable personality that embodies emotional intelligence and cross-cultural awareness that we see as so critical for global leaders.

In conclusion, Jérémie is the kind of student who not only takes opportunities but also creates them for others. His impact on Esade will continue to be felt for years to come and I have no doubt that he will carry forward this same passion, intellect and leadership in his career.”

David López
Full Time MBA Associate Dean

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