Constanza Babío
My name is Constanza Babío and I’m from Madrid. Six years ago, I completed one of the master's programs at IE Law School, and I’m very proud of the direction my career has taken since then. I currently live in London, where I work for a US-based international consultancy firm and can apply my specialized taxation knowledge. I’m proud to be part of the IE Alumni network because I love staying connected with such an active community spread all over the world.
"I thought it was a privilege to study under such a good faculty, a combination of professionals who give you a perspective on working in real life, and very knowledgeable professors."
A wise decision that has fueled a brilliant career
Although she currently lives in London for her job, Constanza Babío is a native of Madrid. In fact, she completed both her undergraduate and master's degrees in the Spanish capital. Once she obtained her law degree, she was presented with the opportunity to study the Máster en Asesoría Fiscal de Empresas (LL.M.), which IE Law School offered in collaboration with PwC.
After finishing her master's, Constanza began a brilliant career in the world of tax law. She spent more than four years working at PwC, where she became a senior associate in Indirect Taxes, Customs and Excise. She then moved to London to take on her current position as indirect tax associate at Alvarez & Marsal, a US consultancy firm specializing in regulatory, operational, financial and management solutions.
Looking back, Constanza is well aware that her decision to choose IE Law School for her master's changed her life. The prestige of the institution and its faculty, as well as the fact that the program was offered in collaboration with PwC, were undoubtedly important factors. But the program far exceeded her expectations.
She considers herself privileged to have been able to study with professors of such high caliber. Experts and working sector professionals who know, like no one else, the reality of the sector and the challenges posed by tax practice in top-level companies. Thanks to the program’s practical and multidisciplinary approach, Constanza not only acquired a solid technical foundation; she also developed other skills that have been of great use in her career. She learned to work under pressure, and how to relate to very different people in all kinds of situations. The diversity that the IE Community boasts prepared her to work in a global environment with colleagues and clients from different cultures. She learned to see differences as an opportunity to generate value.
It was an intense experience that Constanza also had to combine with her work, but she believes it was worth the effort. “It's an experience that asks a lot of you, because it's a lot of hours and a lot of case studies, forcing you to work at a pace you're not used to,” she says. But those intensive days, working side-by-side with her colleagues, helped her to establish bonds of friendship that will stay with her forever.
She says that she made better friends than she’d ever made in her life during her program. Now, thanks to the IE Alumni network, she stays in touch with the IE Community. She explains that she attends the community’s organized events whenever she can, because she loves to feel part of it, meet other alumni and network with people who have had similar experiences to her own.
For those who are considering studying a degree at IE Law School, Constanza recommends that they “Go for it, because they won’t regret it and they’re going to make friends for life.” It’s a privilege, she concludes, to study in a place that allows students to grow personally and professionally.
