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IE Business School MBA graduate Cecilia Rodríguez wins AMBA award

Cecilia Rodríguez Alcalá, a Paraguayan graduate of IE Business School’s International MBA program, has been named the winner of ‘The Independent MBA Student of the Year Award 2015’. The award is presented on an annual basis by the UK-based Association of MBAs (AMBA) in recognition of excellence among MBA students worldwide.

Cecilia Rodríguez Alcalá received the award at AMBA’s Gala Dinner held in London last Friday, where Matan Ganani, an Israeli graduate of IE’s International MBA program, also received a highly commendable mention for the organization’s Entrepreneurial Venture Award. IE is the only business school to boast two winners of the Independent Student of the Year Award, as well as being the school with the highest number of finalists in the history of the prizes. Jack Barnes, an MBA graduate of the Madrid-based School, received the award in the year 2000.

Cecilia Rodríguez Alcalá has an extensive track record in the field of social initiatives. She was the founder and director of Paraguay Educa, an organization that raised 5 million dollars to create Paraguay’s first “Digital City” in Caacupe, benefitting 35 schools by bringing connectivity, education and laptops to 13,467 children. Rodríguez Alcalá has led numerous initiatives centered around sustainable development, social inclusion, education and technology.  She also forms part of major international platforms that include the Global Shapers Community of the Davos World Economic Forum.

Israeli entrepreneur, Matan Ganani, received recognition in the Entrepreneurial Venture Award category of the AMBA awards. Ganani is the founder and CEO of Never Empty, an app designed to ensure that sporting events operate at their fullest possible attendance capacity, while enabling sports fans to buy entrance tickets at prices they can afford using an online bidding system. To date the company has attracted investment totaling 1.5 million dollars.

"I feel truly honored to have rounded off an unforgettable MBA experience with this award, a decision that appears to reflect the importance placed by the competition organizers, AMBA and The Independent, on management education that shapes entrepreneurs who are committed to sustainable business and the creation of social value”, said Cecilia Rodríguez.

“We are extremely proud of our International MBA graduates Cecilia and Matan. As our global ambassadors, they both represent the very best of what IE stands for, in terms of our their values, mindset, and extraordinary drive to make the unusual happen. Winning this year’s MBA Student of the Year Award among all AMBA Member Schools is an outstanding achievement for Cecilia and serves as a magnificent inspiration to all of our current and future students at IE”, said Erik Schlie, Vice Dean of the International MBA of IE Business School.

IE Business School’s International MBA has been ranked No. 12 worldwide and No. 4 in Europe in FT’s 2016 MBA ranking. The International MBA has a student body comprised of 90% international students from 65 countries with an average of 5 years’ relevant work experience. The one-year program is available in English and Spanish, and its design permits students to craft a customized program for themselves based on their specific interests and career plans. Students can opt to do the “Creators” track, centered on entrepreneurialism, or the “Transformers track,” if they want to map a career path as directors in the corporate world. Moreover they can choose from among over 150 elective courses to further personalize the learning experience, as well as undertake consulting projects or work on social initiatives in South Africa, Ethiopia, Peru or Brazil program.

IE Business School International MBA students can participate in the Post-MBA Long Exchange Program, a three-month exchange program which permits them to choose a destination from  among 58 partner schools around the world, including Chicago Booth (US), NYU Stern (US), GIBS-Gordon Institute of Business Science (South Africa), London Business School (UK), and Tsinghua (China). They also have the opportunity to further extend their networks at the Global Network Week, travel with the IE’s Venture Lab initiative to examine entrepreneurial ecosystems  in other countries, or present their own business projects at Venture Day events held by IE in cities that include Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Mexico D.F., Providence, Berlin, Tokyo and Lisbon. The program offers a total of 66 international destinations to further enrich the MBA experience.

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