The visit to the Bridgestone plant in Puente San Miguel allowed us to get an inside look at the reality of a leading industrial company.

The day provided the group with a close look at the development of the plant, its production processes, management model and the culture of safety that underpins its daily activities. Through the tour of the production areas, they were able to observe how innovation, operational excellence and continuous improvement coexist in a highly demanding industrial environment.

One of the most compelling points was the conversation about leadership in transformation processes. The visit enabled the group to reflect on communication, team management, resilience and decision-making in complex contexts, based on what the plant’s general manager Natalia García Alonso shared, along with the plant's leadership team.

Beyond getting to know an industrial operation from the inside, the experience allowed participants to connect what they’d seen in the classroom with a business reality where decisions have a direct impact on people, processes and competitiveness.

A way of understanding leadership from practice, judgment and responsibility to manage transformation without losing sight of people.

There are moments within the program that break with the dynamics of everyday life. The workshops in Madrid are among them.

For two days at our María de Molina campus, participants leave their usual environment and work from a different context. The pace changes, the conversations change and so does the way we approach daily challenges. It is also an opportunity to get to know the IE Business School ecosystem up close and how it works beyond the classroom.

This meeting coincides with different editions of the program, allowing for experiences and points of view to be exchanged between managers from different sectors, careers and regions.

Through workshops with Javier Bernad on public speaking, and Pilar Galeote on negotiation and influence, they work on two key skills for any manager: communicating with clarity and presence, and negotiating with judgment and impact.

Beyond the content, these days allow us to step back, contrast ideas and connect with other professionals from elsewhere within the program.

The Learning Partners conference represents one of the closing moments of the program in the Basque Country. A space for participants to share learning, review their growth during the program and share the projects they’ve developed with other colleagues.

After months of work, the group could contrast ideas, personal learning and professional reflections in a session that allowed them to gather what they’d experienced and project it towards their own management reality.

As part of this day, they participated in a sailing activity in the Bay of Abra, in partnership with Getxo Bela Eskola. On board J80 vessels, each participant assumed a role within the crew, putting into practice key competencies such as coordination, communication, trust, decision-making and adaptation.

The activity turned teamwork into something tangible: reading the environment, adjusting the course, coordinating with others and moving towards a common goal.

A journey that connects learning, team and leadership from a different dynamic, reinforcing the bonds created throughout the program.

Graduating from Senior Management Programs isn’t just the end of an academic phase. It's a time to take perspective, recognize the journey you’ve been on and plan the next step in your professional development.

At IE Tower, participants meet with their peers from other intakes, as well as teachers and academic staff in an environment that combines recognition, reflection and connection.

Throughout the event, the presentations focus on the challenges of current leadership, the importance of continuous learning and the responsibility of those who make decisions in increasingly complex contexts.

Beyond the ceremony, graduation reinforces the value of being part of a network that remains active after the program: a community of managers who share concerns, professional ambition and a commitment to ongoing learning.

The end of one phase that opens another, driven by judgment, connection and the will to continue growing.