IE Careers Forum Spring 2026 Brings Students and Employers Together Across Sectors

IE Talent & Careers launched the Spring 2026 edition of the IE Careers Forum, bringing students, alumni and over 300 recruiters together for two days of professional connection at the IE Tower. As the university’s largest biannual career event, the forum once again transformed the campus into a hub of professional discovery, where students actively engaged with organizations from across the global job market.

The forum combined large-scale employer presence with direct, face-to-face interaction, allowing students to move beyond online applications and into real conversations. From multinational firms and fast-growing scale-ups to returning alumni now representing their companies, the Careers Forum highlighted IE University’s role as a meeting point between education and professional opportunity.

For Zayne Imam, Head of Talent & Careers at IE University, what makes the Careers Forum especially meaningful is not only the scale of the event, but the way it helps students take an important next step. 

 “We do so many incredible things at this university, and at Talent & Careers, to equip people to learn new skills and to really help them understand where their talents could be applied in the market,” he noted. “Now there is this one element of them actually taking that step and figuring out where to take those skills and new abilities.”

 Imam highlighted the importance of direct human interaction at a time when recruitment can often feel distant and heavily automated. As AI continues to lengthen the path between submitting an application and meeting a real person, he described the forum as a rare and important opportunity for students to speak directly with the individuals behind the hiring process. 

 “You have this application connected to a real human, and the person receiving the application is right there in front of you,” he said. “I think that’s very special and important.”

Technology and Diversified Industries

 The first day of the IE Careers Forum Spring 2026 focused on Technology and Diversified Industries, with a total of 185 recruiters, including 13 IE alumni, that connected with more than 800 students throughout the afternoon. The event welcomed recruiters from sectors including technology, AI, consumer goods, retail, and energy among others. Global companies such as Amazon, Uber, HUAWEI, Thomson Reuters, Fever, SAS, L’Oréal Groupe, AB InBev, LVMH, and Carrefour were among those present, alongside innovative firms including Aily Labs and Simply.TV. Students explored a wide range of professional paths, from AI and software to brand management, consulting, operations, and business strategy.

 Among the companies attending was Thomson Reuters, represented by Louis Bafort, Sales Development Representative and IE Master in Management alumnus, who returned to the forum with a clear memory of what it felt like to be in the students’ position.

 “I think it was about four years ago that I was looking for a job myself, and I do remember that feeling,” he noted. "It's nice to be able to interact with the university again and also speak about my own career track over the last four years with students.”

This was echoed by several alumni recruiters throughout the day. Tomas Vintimilla, Technical Support Engineer at SAS and an IE Bachelor in Computer Science alumnus, shared that he first discovered the company through IE’s career platforms and made the connection at a similar fair while still a student.   

“I can say that it’s thanks to IE that I’m here right now,” he said.

A similar story came from Adrian Marino, AI Engineer at Aily Labs and an IE Master in Computer Science alumnus, who also recalled the role IE played during his own student experience, highlighting the usefulness of the university’s career support systems. He stressed that potential matters more than perfection in the hiring process and explained that motivation, willingness to learn, and evidence of initiative can matter just as much as formal background, especially in a fast-changing field like AI. 

 “We look at your potential,” he noted. “If you’re willing to put in the work, if you can show us that even if you have an economics degree, you want to learn, we welcome you.”

 Representing a scale-up that has grown rapidly in just two years, Maël Chapuis, Technical Account Manager at Simply.TV and an IE Master in Market Research & Consumer Behavior alumnus, said that the company is continuously looking for talent and sees IE as an important source of strong candidates. 

 Chapuis noted that his own relationship with Simply.TV began at Careers Forum two years earlier. “I don’t think I would be here without IE,” he said.

 For students, the forum offered not only job opportunities but also valuable perspectives on the realities of the job market.

 Talya Elakkary, a third-year IE Bachelor in Communication and Digital Media student, described the event as an exciting first experience at a Career Forum in the Tower. 

 “I feel like there are so many different companies to look out for and talk to, and I love that there are so many different opportunities to discuss,” she said.

 Juan Manuel Peña, an IE Master in Management student, explained that he approached the event as a way to better understand how companies structure their recruitment processes and what candidates can do to prepare. 

 “It definitely can be very helpful for people who are not very clear on what to do or what to expect from their career,” he said.

Consulting, Finance, Global Impact & Law

 Building on the momentum of Day 1, the second day of the IE Careers Forum turned the spotlight to Consulting, Finance, Global Impact, and Law. The afternoon brought together 144 recruiters, including 23 IE alumni, who connected with more than 700 students across some of today’s most competitive sectors. Companies including Accenture, AlphaSights, Deloitte, EY, PwC, Roland Berger, Mastercard, BBVA and Morningstar were among those present, joined by a broader group of organizations spanning advisory, regulation, insurance, real estate, and global impact. Through direct conversations with recruiters, students were able to compare different professional paths while gaining a more concrete sense of where their profiles could fit and grow.

 Among the companies attending was AlphaSights, represented by Brodie Mulcahy, Talent Acquisition Associate, who highlighted the firm’s strong relationship with IE University and the qualities that continue to stand out in its students. 

 “Above everything, we hire for potential,” she said. “We’re looking for people who are driven, hungry, and really just want to grow into a commercial role, and from my experience, IE students come across as very hard-working individuals.”

 Nicolas Bernard, Senior Analyst at Morningstar and an IE Bachelor in Business Administration alumnus, highlighted the qualities he sees repeatedly in IE candidates. 

 “IE students usually are very curious, open-minded, ambitious and international, which fits very well in our office because we have a lot of international people.”

 Returning to campus for the first time as a recruiter, Irene Carbonell, Human Capital Analyst at Deloitte and an IE Master in Management alumna who graduated just two months ago, described the experience as unusual but rewarding. She reflected on the broader value of the IE experience, pointing not only to technical preparation but also to the softer skills that increasingly differentiate candidates in competitive processes. 

 “Besides the technical knowledge that IE gives us, all these courses, like public speaking, leadership courses and workshops that we took, also help a lot,” she explained. “They are looking for those kinds of subskills that can differentiate you from the rest of the candidates.”

 Many students came with questions to understand the broader picture and reality of job searching. 

 Sanaya Shah, a fourth-year Dual Degree student in Business Administration and Law student, shared that she had felt uncertain about her options in Spain, particularly because of her level of Spanish. 

 “I’ve actually been very confused about the market in Spain,” she noted. “So I think meeting people and the companies that I like, and asking them about it gave me a lot of clarity.” 

That experience was shared by Anna Gramann, another fourth-year Dual Degree student in Business Administration and Law student, who said she was encouraged to hear that intermediate Spanish could still be enough for some opportunities. “That was really eye-opening,” she said.

 Across both days, the IE Careers Forum Spring 2026 once again demonstrated the strength of IE University’s employer network and the value of creating direct contact between students and the market they hope to enter. From technology and AI to consulting, finance, law, and global impact, students were able to explore multiple professional paths while speaking directly with the people behind the roles. At a time when recruitment processes are becoming more automated and increasingly mediated by screens, the forum showed the importance of face-to-face interaction, not only as a networking opportunity, but as a more natural way for students to understand where they belong and how to take the next step in their professional journey.