Ana Belén Torres
My name is Ana Belén Torres and I’m from Andalusia. I studied at the ETEA School of Economic and Business Sciences in Cordoba, and I’ve been working at the TORRES POZO S.L. group for 20 years, where I am currently the CEO. I was interested in the Advanced Management Program because I wanted to get up to speed on new business management methods and to update my knowledge. After completing the program, I can say it greatly exceeded my expectations.
"The Advanced Management Program provided me with the maturity I was lacking to see myself as a person who manages people."
Ana Belén Torres studied Economic and Business Sciences at ETEA and is currently the CEO of TORRES POZO S.L. Ana Belén is one of the professionals who decided to forge ahead and commit to her future at a time full of uncertainty. Taking the Advanced Management Program at IE turned out to be the right choice, and it far exceeded her expectations.
Why did you decide to further your education at IE?
I decided to further my education at IE because it seemed to me that, after 20 years of work experience, I had to refresh my knowledge and get up to speed on new business management techniques. And there was no better place to do that than at the best business school in Spain. Plus, when I learned about the program and its methodology, I knew that it would go beyond classic programs that are limited to homework and theory.
Do you think that your time at IE has changed your focus in your career?
My time at IE and my experience with the AMP program have been an inflection point in my business outlook. They have provided me with the maturity I was lacking to see myself as a person who manages people and they have allowed me to improve my relationship with my team to better work together. Additionally, the program has given me a more global vision of all the aspects that I need to keep in mind as a CEO to coordinate all operational areas.
What is your current professional status?
I’m currently the CEO of a group of family companies that manages its own real estate assets and several hospitality businesses. Right now, we have several important projects underway and we continue to grow.
What is the most valuable lesson you learned during the program? Do you have any inspiring stories you’d like to share with your classmates?
The best part of the program was meeting extraordinary people, both professors and classmates. I’d like to especially mention Rosa Algarrada, who really helped me get to know myself better and give myself more importance. To me, the program’s most valuable aspect is undoubtedly the quality of the faculty. I’ve really enjoyed listening to them and learning from them in their lectures. Above all, they conveyed to us the human perspective of the business world, an aspect that has always been front and center for me because of my personality and how I lead.
I don’t have any stories in particular, but I have lots of memories of classes where I became emotional listening to the professors share their personal experiences of overcoming adversity and of how they have then been able to apply the lessons learned in that struggle to a business context. Another very important idea that they taught me was how important the people around you are, and how, by working with them, you can go far.
