Maite García-Blanch

Maite García-Blanch has over 20 years of experience in the corporate finance and asset management industry. Starting out as an institutional sales associate in Banque Privée of the Edmond de Rothschild Group and later moving to AllianceBernstein, Maite began to recognize that a specialized education in finance was necessary if she hoped to boost her career.

Thrilled to explore the new opportunities that a master’s degree in finance would bring to her professional development, Maite decided to apply to IE University due to its worldwide recognition and, more specifically, its renowned and top-ranking Master in Finance. She was also motivated by the draw of an international experience and extensive global network, as well as its location in the heart of Madrid—one of the best cities in the world, according to her.

As a mom of a one-year-old baby at the time she began the program, Maite knew she was in for a challenge. Finding the balance between studying long hours and raising her newborn was no easy feat. However, her fellow classmates and her professors offered invaluable support that helped her find her footing. One in particular, Ignacio de la Torre, insisted that she and her classmates avoid taking things for granted; instead, they should consider everything through a critical thought process. Maite’s professors inspired her to give the best version of herself throughout the entire program. That, and the backing from her husband, helped her graduate with honors and ranked as the top student in her graduating class.

“I was thrilled to explore the new opportunities that the Master in Finance would bring to my professional development.”

Shortly after graduation, Maite started working for Telefónica as an investor relations manager. She was responsible for Telefónica Group’s consolidated annual report and worked with the international relations team for eight years. In this role, she found herself needing to utilize a lot of the financial know-how she gained in the program, from preparing earnings releases, industry events and presentations for analysts, brokers and investors to monitoring, previewing and following up analyst reports and assisting the CFO and COO on quarterly earnings releases and investor roadshows. Maite also focused on transversal project management, including participating in capital events and performing comprehensive competitive analyses, financial metrics and peer differentiations.

Looking back on her academic experience, Maite remembers it being exhausting, but in the best way. She would recommend anyone passionate about finance to pursue this master’s degree, both for the skills and knowledge they’ll gain, as well as for the lifelong connections made along the way. In fact, she attributes her current position directly to the program: in 2020, Maite started as the chief executive officer at AIS Financial Group, a company created by one of her Master in Finance classmates.

Allowing her to enhance her analytical skills and shape her mindset, the Master in Finance gave Maite the confidence to interact with finance professionals across the globe. She gives full credit to the program for helping her change her career path and start working in a position in which she can have maximum impact. Her advice to potential students? “If you are passionate about finance and want to develop a career in the industry, meet the brightest minds out there and live in one of the most wonderful cities in the world, it’s a no-brainer—you must apply to IE University’s Master in Finance.”