Benedikt Bjarnason

IESE Business School

“Highly motivated and positive Icelander who prefers enjoying a cold plunge over a beach lounge.”

Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland

Fun Fact About Yourself: Mondays are my favorite days of the week. Blank page, fresh start and a week full of opportunities ahead!

Undergraduate School and Major: Reykjavik University (with 2 semester exchange at ESADE), Business Administration major.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Analyst, Fossar Investment Bank.

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? I have always preferred an interactive way of learning over a conventional lecture setting. I have a hard time listening to someone speak for hours and writing notes. What the case method does for me is keep me alert during class, always reflecting on the discussion and thinking how I can make a meaningful contribution. The case method has improved my ability to not only speak my mind but also develop my opinion in real time with new information. Some of the professors really challenge the comments made, and I believe those challenges are what makes students grow and improve.

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 city that sells itself. I first moved here for a year on exchange, fell in love with its history and culture, and never really looked back. Coming from Iceland where winters are dark, cold and long, I’m grateful for every morning coffee and lunch in the sun. Even though I enjoy bathing in Icelandic waters at sub-zero temperatures, I don’t mind an abundance of vitamin D for a change.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the one key part of the IESE Business School MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? After speaking with alumni, the Executive Simulation (EXSIM) immediately stood out to me. Conversations with second-year students only reinforced that excitement. The one-week intensive simulation is a powerful way to test decision-making, leadership, and teamwork in a demanding but controlled environment. It reflects IESE’s commitment to developing prudent, self-aware managers.

The IESE MBA is known for heavy reading and rigorous academics. Has the program lived up to its reputation? What advice would you give to first-years to help them thrive in the early months of the program? The program overall has surpassed my expectations on almost every front, and the academics are no exception. The program demands a lot from you and teaches you to be very deliberate with how you prepare for each class. Balancing casework, social life, personal wellbeing, and recruitment is no easy task, but that is where having a team that you meet every day comes in handy. My advice for first-years would be to foster relationships with your team and professors. If anything comes up or you are having a hard time, those are the people who step up and help you out. I feel very fortunate to be part of a strong team where people support each other both on and off campus.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at IESE? I came to Barcelona to find a place for my energy/finance background in the international startup space, so the Startup & Entrepreneurship Club has become a place to meet like-minded people and be inspired. Seemingly every week, the school’s clubs host interesting events, and through them I have been exposed to very successful and inspiring people. A lunch session with a search-fund veteran, a dinner with a VC investor and a masterclass on AI agent design, to name a few.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Rather than one defining moment, I’m most proud of consistently having the courage to speak up and take responsibility early in my career. Whether in a fast-growing startup or in corporate finance, I’ve raised concerns when I saw opportunities to improve – sometimes at personal risk. Not every suggestion led to change, but the process pushed me to grow as a professional and taught me how to communicate thoughtfully with senior leaders.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: I have stuck to the very good Business Spanish Program offered by IESE and have consistently improved since my arrival. I want to graduate from the program, which would translate to a B2 level competency. I believe that learning new languages can be the most powerful tool for creating opportunities in life and gives you access to people and communities otherwise inaccessible.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? Recently I came back from the yearly “SKIESE” ski trip to Andorra. Spending time with the friends I have made in the program in a very different setting than in class, both skiing and après-skiing is definitely up there.

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