Oscar J. Herbón García

BEFORE GETTING TO THE DETAILS OF THE EXPERIENCE, WE WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: YOUR EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND HOBBIES.

I have a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Santiago de Compostela, a Master of Finance from ICADE, and a Master of Energy Management, which I earned at the Repsol Campus as part of a talent program for young professionals. 

I have almost 10 years of working experience with exposure to the technology, media and telecom (TMT) sector, and the energy industry, working mainly in corporate strategy and financial planning and analysis (FP&A). I have had the opportunity to lead workstreams and projects related to investments in 4G/5G mobile networks, acquisitions of technological companies, and the preparation of strategic plans and equity stories, among others. Recently, I have joined Strategy&, which forms part of the PwC network, in my new role as strategy manager. 

My hobbies include motorsports, movies and TV series, and politics. 

WHAT EXPERIENCE SPARKED YOUR DECISION TO PURSUE A CAREER IN BUSINESS, SPECIFICALLY ONE RELATED TO STRATEGY, ANALYSIS AND FINANCIAL PLANNING?

I started my career working in financial planning, where I developed some relevant capabilities such as attention to detail, financial modeling and financial analysis. But, I felt that I needed more exposure to business, as well a s more of a challenge in my daily routine. 

So I got an opportunity as a Corporate Strategy Analyst at Repsol, where I found my passion for corporate and business strategy. This area gave me exposure to the top management of the company and the possibility to take part in strategic initiatives that would have maximum impact: identification and execution of M&A operations, performing strategic plans, preparing the equity story for the company, and participating in other transformative initiatives. 

The nature of the work ramped up the challenge levels every day. I had to solve complex problems, manage strategic projects involving different areas of the company, and align stakeholders. This was, and is, very exciting for me. Also, the nature of strategy gives you the opportunity to see the big picture—market trends, competitive landscape and the strategic position of your company. Your work is to deliver actionable insights and perform strategic initiatives to improve the position of your company. Yeah, strategy rocks!

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?

The greatest challenge has been finishing my Executive MBA while working in such a highly demanding and fast-paced environment as corporate strategy and development. How did I overcome it? By prioritizing tasks, giving 120% seven days a week—yes, handling some tasks on Sunday is essential—and working as a team, both at work and at IE Business School. The support of your managers, your partner and your family is vital to overcoming this extremely demanding year.   

HOW WILL COMPLETING THE EXECUTIVE MBA IMPACT YOUR CAREER?

The Executive MBA program will give me a holistic vision of a company, and the capability to understand the main issues facing a director of any division within a company—especially finance, marketing or IT. 

It will also provide me with a wide range of tools and the confidence to manage projects and teams of ambitious top performers, with the complexity and demanding requirements of a corporate strategy area. 

Finally, this Executive MBA has already enhanced my confidence to initiate an adventure as an entrepreneur. This is one thing that I have been thinking about intensively.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?

In five years, I see myself as the director of management consulting at Strategy&, or CEO and co-founder of my own technological startup.

AFTER LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER, WE WANT TO KNOW ALL ABOUT WHAT GLOBAL IMMERSION WEEK HAS MEANT TO YOU. IN GENERAL, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WAS THE MOST INTERESTING EXPERIENCE FOR YOU DURING THIS GLOBAL IMMERSION WEEK?

I’d have to say the exposure to entrepreneurs and members of the tech Industry in the hotspot that is San Francisco. Each session provided us with very meaningful insights about industry trends and—more importantly—the motivations behind these leaders and entrepreneurs. This Global Immersion Week was really inspiring for me and fostered my entrepreneurial spirit.  

UBER, TWITTER, ZOOM—YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET WITH REAL HEAVYWEIGHTS FROM LEADING COMPANIES LIKE THESE AND MORE. WHICH BUSINESS LEADER INSPIRED YOU THE MOST? WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THEM?

I found all of the sessions to be inspiring and have given me a lot of really meaningful insights. It’s very difficult to choose, but I would say that I was most inspired by Zoom’s vision about trends in digital collaborative environments, which is bringing the company to the market to manage all of this. Another standout leader was Greg Castle, the venture capitalist. His background and career path are very motivating. He also talked about his investment practice, and his return expectations have been really meaningful. 

AS PART OF YOUR TRIP, YOU HAD PANELS AND INFORMATIVE SESSIONS WITH FINANCIERS AND VENTURE CAPITALISTS. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN DRIVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION?

How capitalists perform the essential function of capital allocation to drive those unique and value-accretive ideas that solve some kind of needs of the society. The use of the ESG criteria is more present than ever and they consider the impact on the community of every investment.

WHILE IN SAN FRANCISCO, YOU ALSO GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH ALUMNI FROM THE IE BUSINESS SCHOOL COMMUNITY. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY WILL BENEFIT YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?

I have had the pleasure of connecting with some important professionals from other industries. This has given me a unique pool of resources and experts to connect with for my work as a strategy manager at Strategy&.  

Also, the international path of this community could give me some global opportunities as a potential entrepreneur in the future. 

HOW WILL YOUR TIME AT IE BUSINESS SCHOOL, AND ENRICHING EXPERIENCES LIKE THE GLOBAL IMMERSION WEEK, ADD VALUE TO YOUR CAREER?  

I can summarize the added value during my time at IE Business School and through experiences like the Global Immersion Week in three main points: 

• Hard skills: Learning technical concepts that train you to have a discussion with a director of almost every division in a multinational company;
• Soft skills: Training of skills to perform effective leadership and team management, and;
• Inspiring experiences: Empowering you to start new ventures, giving you the confidence to even create your own business.  

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE YOU HAVE FOR OTHER STUDENTS PURSUING, OR INTENDING TO PURSUE, THE EXECUTIVE MBA? 

Listen with attention and with the mindset to learn from your classmates—extract all you can from them and their invaluable professional experience.