03/06/2025
How do you recognize excellence?
As graduations near, we seek to honor the most extraordinary students with the Blue Torch Awards. Which makes this the perfect moment to explain IE Business School‘s most prestigious honor.
Let’s dive in.
What are the Blue Torch Awards?
The Blue Torch recognizes students from IE Business School who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and outstanding community engagement during their program. Recipients exemplify the pursuit of the “Next Best You,” displaying outstanding leadership, commitment and academic excellence.
The award aims to foster a positive culture across campus. By recognizing students who best represent our core values, others can learn and emulate those behaviors in broader society.
The Blue Torch earned its name through two concise metaphors. The torch is a symbol of success, representing light, warmth and energy. Blue is the most powerful part of the flame—and our school color.
Who is eligible for the Blue Torch?
We have two criteria when selecting Blue Torch awardees. The first lies in academic achievement, whereby we consider students whose cumulative GPA places them in the top 10% of their programs during the first two terms. This recognizes students’ hard work and consistent excellence in their studies.
The second criterion is outstanding citizenship. This focuses on students’ dedication to the success and well-being of their peers. Peer nominations guide this decision.
We evaluate outstanding citizenship through four behavioral categories: giving academic support to classmates, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment, offering encouragement to others, and promoting a lively atmosphere that makes IE a more engaging place to learn.
Each program team at IE Business School is tasked with identifying top academic performers and distributing peer nomination surveys. This ensures a fair, transparent and inclusive process for all students in the community.
What is the Double Blue Torch Award?
While awardees can be recognized for either of the aforementioned criteria, those excelling in both receive the Double Blue Torch Award.
Recipients of the Double Blue Torch Award embody a drive for personal and societal impact, making it the highest honor that IE Business School gives to graduating students. This year’s awardees include:
Adán Ramos González (Executive MBA)
Shubham Sudesh Kejriwal (International MBA)
Miss Mela Franco Habijan (Master in Creative Direction, Content & Branding)
Amal Darwiche Hammoud (Master in Management)
Carolina Teixeira Lopes Couto Viana (Master in Management)
Anna-Alina Wesjohann (Master in Management)
Emilio Gonzalo Ramos Bolde (Master in Management)
Maria Carolina De Brigard Moreno (Master in Sustainability & Business Transformation)
Maria Beatriz Fernandes Lima Ribeiro (Master in Strategic Marketing & Communication)
Mariana De La Maza Garcia (Master in Talent Development & Human Resources)
“I was honored to receive the Blue Torch award for outstanding citizen. It’s humbling because it reflects how people see my purpose—my role as an advocate for equal rights,” Miss Mela Franco Habijan.
What to expect from the Blue Torch Awards?
Collection of nominations typically takes place in April. Following nominations, we announce recipients during the week before the awards ceremony, which typically takes place in May. However, January intake master’s students and third-year bachelor students receive their awards in November, while master’s students from the September intake receive theirs in May.
The Blue Torch Honors Ceremony is held behind closed doors. Here, we formally recognize students for their accomplishments, alongside a networking cocktail reception for recipients to connect with their peers, academic leadership, faculty and staff.
Awardees also have the chance to become members of the Beta Gamma Sigma exclusive honor society.
Founded in 1913, Beta Gamma Sigma is the international honor society for the top 5% of AACSB-accredited business schools worldwide. Its members, who include leaders across corporate, government, non-profit, and academic sectors—such as Nobel laureates, Olympians, CEOs, and university deans—reside in over 190 countries. As a member of the ACHS, Beta Gamma Sigma recognizes excellence in business leadership and impact.
Are you ready to become the Next Best You?
Studying at IE Business School is more than just acquiring business knowledge—it’s a transformative journey to help you become the next best version of yourself. We offer a purpose-driven education designed to make a meaningful impact in today’s complex world. Our graduates go on to explore diverse opportunities that drive sustainable and social change.
Think you could be a name on our next honors list? Find out everything we have to offer at IE Business School and discover the Next Best You.
Benjamin is the editor of Uncover IE. His writing is featured in the LAMDA Verse and Prose Anthology Vol. 19, The Primer and Moonflake Press. Benjamin provided translation for “FalseStuff: La Muerte de las Musas”, winner of Best Theatre Show at the Max Awards 2024.
Benjamin was shortlisted for the Bristol Old Vic Open Sessions 2016 and the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2023.
