Adrian Jofre Bosch | IE School of Global and Public Affairs

Adrian Jofre Bosch

About me

My name is Adrian Jofre Bosch. I think of myself as a global citizen. Over the years, I’ve studied, worked and lived in five different cities: London, Hong Kong, Barcelona, New York and Madrid. In the meantime, I founded three initiatives. The first two—ThinkAct.org and ArsCoCo—didn’t turn out the way I expected. However, I couldn’t be who I am today without those crucial ventures. The most recent one is beBartlet, a public advocacy firm where I’m a founding partner and president. My creativity developed into a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that will lead me to take on new challenges in the future.

shapeAdrian Jofre Bosch

“Nowadays, it’s crucial to both adapt to the social context and develop the capabilities to contribute to public debate.”

Adrian Jofre Bosch

Becoming a great negotiator

Born in Barcelona, Adrian Jofre Bosch has always felt a deeply personal connection with the Mediterranean Sea: the beach, the sun, the food, sailing and diving. Always moved by the scenic arts, Adrian is passionate about film and theater. He’s drawn to opera for its combination of emotion, power and politics. Adrian can often be seen at Teatro Real in Madrid or Teatro de la Abadía in Madrid. Adrian is inspired by the work of brilliant film directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Carla Simón, who directed The Great Beauty and Summer 1993, respectively.

Characters, stories and situations that showcase an immersive plot have greatly influenced Adrian’s work. One person he admires for creating immersive plots is Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing and The Newsroom, two series on the internal dynamics of politics and the media which Adrian considers fascinating. The name of his public advocacy firm, beBartlet, is actually a nod to the fictional President Bartlet, from The West Wing. When explaining the connection, Adrain describes President Bartlet as an exceptional character who decides to not give up on his political career, encouraged by the motto “Let Bartlet be Bartlet,” which essentially means being true to oneself.

Adrian holds a bachelor’s in economic science and a master’s in negotiation and conflict resolution from Columbia University. He has also completed an executive education program on negotiation from Harvard. Professionally, his work has focused on consulting, negotiation and mediation. He became a professional mediator registered with the Spanish Ministry of Justice and part of the Civil and Commercial Court of Arbitration of Madrid (CIMA). Always curious and dedicated, Adrian has also been an associate researcher at Elcano Royal Institute and joined the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations as an advisor.

Regardless of his role, Adrian’s work always leaned toward public advocacy and negotiation. He chose this path knowing that life is an exercise in negotiation. Instead of winners and losers, however, he envisions a society in which everyone dialogues and cooperates, ultimately achieving more inclusive and sustainable decisions. His background has allowed him to implement the methods and goals of this theory into real-life situations.

Adrian launched Spanish public advocacy firm beBartlet only two weeks before the pandemic hit Spain. It was during this period that he recognized how social dialogue, employers and unions can come together to solve crises through institutional and non-governmental paths. It appeared to be crucial to both adapt to the social context and contribute to the public debate. The pandemic demonstrated beBartlet’s purpose of engaging companies publicly and socially. Two years later, the firm is still standing strong—and its team and projects continue to grow.

Adrian landed at IE University looking forward to teaching in a multinational environment. He is an adjunct professor of Negotiation & International Advocacy as well as of Peace & Conflict Resolution. He strives to make his students question their assumptions, ask themselves questions they might have never thought of before and develop new critical perspectives of the world. For Adrian, being a great negotiator means being able to put oneself in someone else’s shoes—and the only way you can do that is if you step out of your comfort zone.

Students in Adrian’s classes often engage in thoughtful, enriching debates and learn from one another. During those conversations, some of the main assets brought by the students are their unique personal perspectives, coupled with their experiences from vastly different backgrounds. With such diversity among the students, no two classes are ever the same—which makes him even more excited about teaching at IE University.

“Nowadays, it’s crucial to both adapt to the social context and develop the capabilities to contribute to public debate.”