English

Executive MBA

duration16 or 20 months

languageEnglish or Spanish

locationOnline & Madrid or 100% Madrid

intakeTwo intakes: September & April

MODE OF STUDYPart-time

FORMATBlended & In Person

duration16 or 20 months

languageEnglish or Spanish

locationOnline & Madrid or 100% Madrid

intakeTwo intakes: September & April

MODE OF STUDYPart-time

FORMATBlended & In Person

Push your boundaries to take the next step

The Executive MBA is a unique curated learning experience for mid-career executives who aspire to the C-suite and beyond. Designed to build upon your track record of success, the program is a transformational journey that leverages your strengths, experiences and ambitions to propel you to the pinnacle of your career.

The program is tailored to you. It will push you to deepen your understanding of who you are, what you want and equip you with precisely what you need to become the most impactful version of yourself. It puts in place the learning experiences, game-changing moments and expert coaching to help you reach the top — and stay there.

Structured to be both highly integrated and practical, the Executive MBA combines individualized guidance, advanced business theory and a parallel series of hands-on Business Sprints, where you’ll tackle real-world scenarios and apply your learning to produce tangible deliverables. Reflection Lounges after each sprint help embed the knowledge gained, while our Board Readiness module equips you with the tools and understanding to navigate boardroom dynamics, critical to any C-Level position.

You’ve already built a solid career and demonstrated your industry expertise. Now is the time to take the step to become the next best you. The Executive MBA will push your boundaries and scale up your professional footprint, preparing you to drive excellence and lead with purpose.

Want to know more?

PERSONALIZED GUIDANCE

Throughout the program, you’ll work with a personal executive coach. First, you’ll together convert your objectives into a Personal Development Plan. Your executive coach will then oversee your journey through regular one-to-one sessions, ensuring that the plan is working for you and strategizing the best steps you can take to further heighten your impact. A career coach with expertise in your field will also guide you through the program, offering personalized, industry-specific advice.

THE NEXT BEST YOU

Our mission is to help you become the next best you: a leader driven by purpose, equipped with the skills, behaviors and mindset needed to achieve your career goals and overcome the challenges that await. With a focus on making you C-Suite ready by teaching you to balance between exploiting your existing competencies while simultaneously exploring new opportunities, the Executive MBA is a journey of transformation that starts within; a journey that rewards tenacity, dedication and hard work; a journey that creates leaders ready to shape the future of business.

YOUR CAREER

We’re here to help you build on your career success so far, enabling you to push it to the next level. By working with you to understand your strengths, ambitions and objectives, we can draw up a unique career development plan tailored specifically to your needs, then put in place the learning experiences, scenarios and expert coaching needed to get you to where – and who – you want to be.

We’ll teach you how to balance the competing demands of the present and future. We’ll look at how to tackle the most pressing challenges facing your business in the now, and how to plan and execute to maximize growth opportunities, while maintaining a forward-looking perspective that enables you to retain top talent, develop strategies that are creative, resilient and responsive, and be bold in analyzing future opportunities.

YOUR IMPACT

No matter the strength of your skillset or the breadth of your experience, to succeed at the highest levels of business, you need to be able to make things happen. But impact is not a matter of intangibles – it’s about how you think, how you act, and how you embrace technology. We’ll equip you with the thinking, behavioral and digital skills you’ll need to thrive in a C-Suite environment.

YOUR PURPOSE

Business has a proven ability to take the lead on social issues such as the climate crisis and inequality – but it relies on individuals with the skills and passion to provide that leadership. We’ll help you put your sense of purpose at the heart of your career path so you can become an executive who can lead the change that matters to you.

Equally, we’ll help you develop your spirit of collaboration for broader company purpose. By cultivating your professional network and forming long-lasting relationships with global peers, you’ll create new sources of value for your business, both now and in the future.

Matias Callieri | Manager Global Recruitment | IE Business School

Executive MBA Program Specialist

Schedule a personal consultation call with our Program Specialist and solve all your questions!

Ready for your next step?

“I’ve run a large team for a number of years and developed a track record of both personal and group success. I want to make the move to a board-level role, but I’m not sure how best to go about it – whether I need to change jobs or company, or what I need to do to make it happen where I am.”

If a scenario like this resonates with you, reach out to us today. With our expertise, we’ll help you begin to understand your options, and what you can do to achieve your personal and professional objectives.

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Overview

Who is the Executive MBA right for?

Leaders who want to drive change.

The Executive MBA is designed to produce the next generation of business leaders – executives driven by purpose, with the tools and impact skills to drive change in the business world for a better future.

Leaders who want to evolve to stay ahead of the curve.

In a fast-changing digital era, continuous self-transformation is the only way to futureproof your career – and that’s the ethos that underpins our mission: to facilitate your journey to becoming the next best you.

Leaders looking to realize their C-suite ambitions.

Making your mark in the boardroom takes vision, insight and a complex balance of skills. The Executive MBA combines cutting-edge teaching with practical experience, giving you vital exposure to the inner workings of a company board.

Leaders looking to take the next step.

For high-potential managers or directors with a track record of success in their chosen industry, the Executive MBA is the ideal way to reach the highest levels of leadership. Our world-class faculty with real-world expertise will help you build on your success to realize your ambitions.

Leaders who want to expand their global network.

At IE Business School, you’ll come together with leaders and senior executives from a variety of industries. Offering abundant networking opportunities and lifetime access to a 70,000-strong alumni community, the Executive MBA is the ideal environment in which to broaden your professional footprint.

Leaders seeking personalized career transformation.

Our unique approach provides a program tailored specifically to your needs, ambitions and career goals. With a personal executive coach, individual development plan and a faculty ready to guide you on your curated learning experience, this is a program centered wholly on you.

CLASS PROFILE

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years of experience

+30

nationalities

Average age

gender

Woman

Men

Sectors

Banking / Insurance / Financial Services

Technology / Telecommunications

Energy Utilities

Consumer Products & Retail

Transport & Logistics

Healthcare / Pharma / Biotechnology

Real estate / Construction

Consulting

Other

Academic Backgrounds

Business

Economics

Engineering

Humanities

Legal

Science

Social Sciences

Technology

The program

Modes of study

The Executive MBA is designed to fit with your career, no matter how busy your schedule. That’s why the program is offered in two different formats: Blended and In-Person. No matter which option you choose, you’ll get access to the same world-class teaching and curated learning experience.

Executive MBA Blended

Based around our state-of-the-art virtual campus, the Blended option features a combination of online classes and in-person sessions. Faculty-led live classes are held via videoconference on Saturday mornings, enabling you to connect from anywhere in the world. They are complemented with asynchronous online discussions throughout the week, including interactive group work where you’ll focus on real-world case studies.

The program also features four face-to-face periods known as Bootcamps. These residential sessions offer the opportunity to connect with senior business professionals from around the world in a stimulating and engaging setting. The face-to-face residential periods are a key element of the Executive MBA experience. These weeks have been designed to be highly experiential and beneficial to our students and are therefore meant to be face-to-face. We are able to offer flexibility to students that require it for specific cases and on a case-by-case basis.

Executive MBA In-Person *

The In-Person option features face-to-face classes at our Madrid campus on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and this version of the program is offered in Spanish or English.

Bootcamps for the In-Person program are held at the same time as those for the Blended, to ensure both cohorts enjoy the same experience and to maximize networking opportunities across the intake streams.

*Intake for participants in the Executive MBA In Person English is in September only. Those who opt to pursue the Executive MBA In Person Spanish can choose between an intake in either September or April.

OFFICIAL DEGREE

Students must meet the following conditions and requirements to be officially enrolled and entitled to request the official university degree upon completion of the master program. If educational prerequisites are not provided and/or if the requirements are not met on time, the student will not be able to request the official university degree as issued by the Spanish government. In this case, the studies will not be official under Spanish educational regulations.

OUR FACULTY ARE HERE TO GUIDE YOU

MEET THE EXECUTIVE MBA VICE-DEAN BUDIMIR SEVER

As Vice Dean of the Executive MBA, Budimir brings over 25 years of experience in global business and technology leadership to guiding students on their personal and professional transformation journey, with the goal of helping them maximize their meaningful impact on the world as modern leaders of the 21st century.

Budimir’s professional experience in leadership roles in business and technology spans a variety of industries (IT, telecommunications, FMCG, education) and global markets.

As an adjunct professor at IE University, Budimir fulfills his passion for continuously sharing his expertise and learning from others. He teaches courses on digital transformation, innovation and technology management in Bachelor, Master and Executive MBA programs at IE.

Budimir holds an MSci in Electrical Engineering and an Executive MBA from IE Business School.

DISCOVER OUR FACULTY

At IE Business School, our faculty’s commitment to you goes far beyond teaching. Their mission is to help you understand the person you are now and guide you on the path to the person you want to become. From working with you to reveal your strengths and surface your career goals to helping you refine how to make the impact your sense of purpose demands – or even discovering what that purpose is – they’re on hand to challenge you to think about yourself in new ways, learn the skills you need for your future career and become the next best you. Drawn from all over the globe, our faculty brings expertise from a vast range of industries, roles and functions, meaning they’re equipped with the real-world experience to help you succeed.

Accounting & Management Control

Economics

Entrepreneurship

Finance

Human resources and Organisational behaviour

Information Systems & Technology

Law

Marketing

Operations & Technology

Strategy

Meet our faculty

A lifetime of benefits

Master classes & vip speaker events

Leaders who join the Executive MBA program at IE Business School understand that personal and professional transformation is an ongoing journey, not a destination. That’s why our commitment to you extends far beyond your graduation. We’ll support you as a lifelong learner by providing exclusive, engaging educational content such as master classes on the topics that matter to you, VIP speaker events, and updates on the latest from the worlds of business, technology and more – all at no additional fee.

Global Alumni Week

Our annual Global Alumni Week ensures that opportunities to connect with top-level global executives and industry leaders continue even after your program has ended, and you’ll have lifetime access to our unparalleled professional network of more than 70,000 alumni worldwide.

Talent & Career service

And to support the executive career transformation plan that you’ll develop during the Executive MBA, we offer lifetime access to our Talent & Careers service, meaning our expert guidance remains at your fingertips.

The journey to becoming the next best you doesn’t end when you finish your studies; that’s why we’ll be your trusted guide every step of the way.

Why study for an Executive MBA?

The Executive MBA at IE Business School is designed to be a watershed experience in both personal and professional terms, and executives from across the world join us with a variety of goals in mind.

01.

ENHANCE YOUR SKILLS, ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

According to Fortune Magazine, applications to executive MBA programs have grown by 68% over the last decade. Why? The desire to enhance management skills and the opportunity to network are the top two motivators cited by alumni worldwide, according to the Financial Times.

Also among the top reasons cited were the desire to increase earnings and improve the chances of a promotion. Research from the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC) found average compensation increased 14.7% while enrolled in an executive MBA program – with The Economist reporting salary increases of up to 51% in the three years after graduating. At the same time, 36% of respondents reported receiving a promotion during their period of study.

02.

EXPAND YOUR GLOBAL EXECUTIVE NETWORK

According to EMBAC, the average executive MBA student is 39 years old with 15 years’ work experience (and nine of those in management), making clear the opportunities that exist for networking with top-level professionals from within your industry and beyond. As the Financial Times puts it: “Building a high-level network is an important part of the EMBA experience.”

03.

EMBRACE NEW OPPORTUNITIES

In pursuing an executive MBA, you’ll find challenges and successes in equal measure, but whatever your motivation for enrolling, the journey will be rewarding in more ways than one. In the words of one Forbes contributor, summarizing their own experiences of an EMBA program: “The MBA should teach you more than just technical business skills, it should open you up to new opportunities and uncover talents and interests you did not know you had… The executive MBA is a great experience, which will give you skills, introduce you to new friends and open new career doors.”

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Executive MBAIn the World

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Executive MBAIn Europe

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Get to know the stories of our alumni

Executive MBA almuni are changemakers equipped to bring positive leadership to their companies and industries. Read their stories below to discover how the program has shaped their careers - and what studying at IE Business School could do for you.

"After completing the MBA I have developed indispensable skills that have truly enhanced my profile, increasing my value in my company and in the market."

See the story

"I’m learning so much in a very short time. On one hand, I will gain a competitive advantage in my industry, but I am confident I will also be a critical person for future opportunities in other industries and even in the world of entrepreneurship."

See the story

"IE Business School and Global Immersion Week have given me the unimaginable, wonderful opportunity to meet and greet so many industry experts and reputed personalities, as well as provided many fun ways to connect with other like-minded students."

See the story

"The Global Immersion Week was a good opportunity to do networking and expand my network with students from other programs."

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"The Executive MBA enhanced my professional confidence, allowing me to be a successful management consultant and to even consider starting an entrepreneurial venture. This is one thing that I have been thinking about intensively."

See the story

Discover more

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the next best you?

The next best you is a fundamental concept at IE Business School, whereby we focus on helping you analyze the current you, determine your career objectives and desired impact as a leader, and equip you with the skills, mindset and tools you need to reach your full potential.

Our approach is personalized and tailored to each individual student, rather than employing a one-size-fits-all method. We offer a range of guidance, options, and support throughout the program to help you identify and refine your strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. We provide a wide variety of workshops, mentorships, career advisors, industry connections and extracurricular activities to help you develop the skills, abilities and insight you need to succeed.

This personalized approach sets IE apart from other leading universities. Not only does it set you up for greater success, but our approach is valued by recruiters seeking graduates who have undergone this transformative process and received a highly personalized education.

What is the format of the program (online or in-person)?

Students can choose between two formats:

Blended: This option combines online conferences on Saturdays (you can choose from the following slots: morning, 11:00-14:30h CET, or afternoon, 16:00-19:30h CET) with three residential periods in Madrid, one off-site residential period in Segovia, and two optional international residential periods.

In-Person: This option combines in-person classes at our Madrid campus on Fridays (16:00-21:00h CET) and Saturdays (9:00-15:00h CET) with three residential periods in Madrid, one off-site residential period in Segovia, and two optional international residential periods.

What is the length of the program?

The length of the program depends on which format you choose:

Blended Format: 20 months.

In-Person Format: 16 months.

In which languages can I study the Executive MBA?

The In-Person format of the program is available in English or Spanish.

The Blended format is available only in English.

What will my diploma look like?

The Executive MBA is an official degree recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education and you will receive a Master in Business Administration.
Please note that students must fulfill the requirements found on this link to be able to request the issuance of the official university degree upon completion of the program. If educational prerequisites are not provided and/or the requirements are not met on time, the student will not be able to request the official university degree as issued by the Spanish government. In such an event, the studies will not be official under Spanish educational regulations.

Does the program feature an international residential period?

The Executive MBA program includes two optional residential weeks which offer a unique chance to gain a global perspective on business in leading international destinations. The Global Immersion Week and The Global Network for Advanced Management place an emphasis on meeting fellow execut ives from around the world, while exploring different business practices and cultures – providing the ideal opportunity to enhance your professional network.