Remedios Torrijos Zurita

“Spanish managers are sociable, competent and political, but they lack vision and the capacity to motivate the team”. This is how Remedios Torrijos, professor of human resources at IE, summarises her conclusions based on two decades of experience in the field of human resources. Following an extensive career in the world of consulting, she joined IE in 2001 to help promote competence-driven executive development programmes. “As I am from the world of consulting, I am very used to preparing material for training purposes, and customising it to meet the needs of each firm. I craft, rather than build programmes”.

Practical and innovative, she designs her programmes so as to provide measurable results. She acquired this philosophy while working with management teams in the sales’ departments of several different companies, frequently raising their sales by as much as 56%. She applies this same promise to her in-company, skill-building, and general development programmes where she teaches at IE. Companies she has worked with include Roche, Aena, Pfizer, Iberdrola, Airbus, the Board for Nuclear Security or Madrid’s Regional Authorities.

She is now immersed in research into management styles, based on a sample of 436 executives. “We will use the results to determine the skills they need to develop more, and what they do best”, says professor Torrijos. She has also written the Gustavo Garrido case, “a manager who doesn’t know how to manage himself, and consequently, can’t manage his team”.

Professor Torrijos holds a Master in Business Administration and Human Resource Management and a degree in industrial sociology of work from Madrid’s Complutense University. She has authored several articles for specialised journals and in different communication media. Prior to working for IE , she headed training at Radiobip and Vivavoce, Telefónica’s main distributor, which was acquired by The Phone House. From there, she moved on to Telefónica Data.

Academic and Professional Experience

• 2001 - Present: Professor of human resource management, IE

• 2001: Senior training specialist de Telefónica Data

• 1999 - 2001: Director of training, Vivavoce (The Phone House)

• 1998 - 1999: Head of Training, Cersa. Radiobip

• 1997 - 1998: Human resource management consultant, Sitel Ibérica

• 1994 - 1997: Founder and administrative partner, Arial Formadores

• 1993 - 1994: Free-lance consultant

• 1992 - 1993: Project manager, Asoinco

• 1991 - 1992: Head of computer department, Cid Centro

• 1991 - 1992: Software sales specialist, Soinsa