Vicente Pascual
Before commencing the Master in Finance, Vicente had enjoyed a varied and international career—from working as an investment adviser in Vietnam to a business development analyst for BBVA in China. Vicente also developed a range of skills working at some of the leading consultancies in the world, including PwC and BCG.
In an effort to expand his expertise in finance, he enrolled in the Master in Finance in 2010.
The Program
Vicente would describe his experience on the Master in Finance as “advancement,” pure and simple. The program empowered him to dive into finance alongside leading professors and top-tier industry professionals. While he had already worked in retail banking, the master’s took his knowledge and practical expertise to new levels, strengthening his skill set and confidence.
The diverse classroom was yet another differentiating factor of IE University. In Vicente’s eyes, “the program was an extraordinary opportunity to meet people from extremely diverse countries and backgrounds, people with whom I shared so much during that year and that I keep counting as dear friends today.”
One of Vicente’s favorite memories of the master’s program was its final night. He had been working hard with his team until 3 a.m. to complete a presentation for the following day. The project was completed, yet new ideas kept emerging. Vicente looks back on this project fondly, “I think that day is a good summary of the year: of the learning experience, effort, network, the friends and the determination to never stop pushing for more. We recall that night and the program as one of the fondest professional and personal memories in our lives.”
Finally, Vicente was surprised by the emphasis IE University places on developing soft skills such as networking. In his words, “Luckily for me, this school considers networking as one of ‘THE’ most important skills. It is deeply ingrained in its culture and offers many opportunities to learn to effectively do it.” He had the opportunity to meet with and develop long-term bonds with extremely interesting students, professors, and professionals from across the Finance, Trade & Economics area.
The Future
The Master in Finance opened doors for Vicente. Immediately before joining the program, he had been working as an equity valuation analyst. Thanks to the new knowledge he acquired on the Master in Finance, he was able to pivot to a more business-oriented career, joining the global consultancy BCG.
After working there for over a year, he co-founded one of the most successful startups to emerge from the Spanish tech ecosystem: Cabify. Having held a variety of roles within the startup, Vicente is now Chief of Ride Hailing. To date, the company has raised over $470m in investment rounds and currently operates in Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Vicente’s advice to future students? “Give your 100% on everything! Push yourself, the professors and your team for more, it's an extraordinary opportunity to learn and make the most out of it.”
Vicente decided to take the Finance, Trade & Economics path and it’s led him on an exciting journey full of success. To discover more potential professional destinations, read our student stories from other program areas.