Our History
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IE BUSINESS SCHOOL THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
At IE Business School, we’re proud of our history. Founded in 1973 by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, we’ve evolved and grown over the years, while honoring our commitment to our core values: innovation, entrepreneurship, diversity and the humanities. And from day one, our focus has been to mold our students into the best possible version of themselves, so they can both achieve their personal goals and make a greater positive impact in society.
Throughout our history, we’ve always been ahead of the curve. We created our first virtual learning unit in 2002, having already launched our International Executive MBA as a blended learning program a year earlier. In 2010, we opened the groundbreaking Area 31, our hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, which has inspired and nurtured countless startups. And in 2021, we celebrated a new milestone: the opening of our vertical, technological and sustainable campus, the IE Tower. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know we’ll be leading it.
1970
1973 - IE Business School is born
1974 - First regular programs begin
1975 - Function-specific postgraduate programs introduced
1980
1980 - International Advisory Board is formed
1981 - First alumni association is established
1983 - IE Business School reaches 1,000 alumni
1983 - The International MBA is launched
1987 - IE Business School campus at María de Molina 11 is opened
1989 - The school reaches 1,000 master’s students
1990
1991 - Bill Gates is awarded an honorary MBA by IE Business School
1992 - The first Entrepreneurship Exhibition takes place
1996 - The Management College building is opened
1997 - IE and Business Forum is founded
1998 - IE Business School celebrates 25 years of postgraduate programs, executive education and consulting services
1999 - Establishment of the College of Information and Technologies and the International Center for Entrepreneurship and Ventures Development
2000
2001 - Our first blended program is launched
2002 - IE Business School’s first e-learning unit is created
2002 - IE Business School earns the "triple-crown"
A “triple accreditation" is a feat only achieved by 1% of the world's business schools
2003 - Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are awarded honorary MBAs
2006 - IE Business School holds the first “Global Village” event
2007 - Instituto de Empresa becomes two entities: IE Business School and IE University
2008 - The new IE University campus in Segovia is opened
2010
2010 - Area 31: IE's Home to Entrepreneurship
2011 - The IE Brown Executive MBA is launched and the Prince of Wales visits the school
2013 - The school celebrates its 40th anniversary
2015 - IE Business School hosts the 2015 IE Alumni Forum: Why Innovation Matters
2016 - The WOW Room is launched at our Madrid Campus
2017 - 131 nationalities are recorded on-campus and the 29th international office is opened in South Africa
2020
2020 - IE Business School launches the Tech MBA - The first specialized MBA focused on the Tech sector launched in Europe
2020 - A rapid COVID-19 response is developed, adapting campuses and learning to the new normal
2020 - The cutting-edge liquid learning model is unveiled
2021 - IE Business School welcomes its 50th intake for the International MBA
2021 - The IE Tower, located in the financial center of Madrid, is opened
2021 - Lee Newman is welcomed as the new Dean of IE Business School