Víctor Serrano López
I’m the CEO of the group of companies Bandesur Alcalá S.A., a company to which I’ve dedicated more than 23 years of my life. It’s an organization with over 100 employees that manufactures plastic packaging for the food industry. Aware of the environmental challenge facing us, at Bandesur we are committed to sustainability and innovation. I made the decision to take the SMP in 2021, a complicated year, to be up to date and prepared to face this constantly changing business environment.
"We’re living in times of crisis and great changes that require the people who make decisions at companies to have an educated, open attitude."
Víctor Serrano is CEO of the Bandesur Alcalá group. He has a master’s in economics from De Montfort University in the United Kingdom, and he has participated in several executive management programs. Víctor recognizes the need for executives to stay up to date given today’s challenges.
Why did you decide to further your education at IE?
I made the decision to take the SMP mainly to bring myself up to speed and strengthen my knowledge given an ever-faster-changing business scenario. We’re living in times of crisis and great changes that require the people who make decisions at companies to have an educated, open attitude, to be able to adapt our businesses to the new times, which are changing more and more quickly.
Let’s talk about the aspects of the SMP program you would highlight: what do you think of the subjects taught?
I can highlight many reasons why my experience in the Senior Management Program was extremely satisfying and, above all, enriching.
In terms of the content included in the program, it’s very comprehensive and up to date. It covers all the subjects that an executive needs to know today. In other words, the program doesn’t have the classic theoretical classes that you might expect in master’s or other types of programs. Instead, the subjects and content are chosen for their practicality and current usefulness. We could even say that the content anticipates the future.
Tell us more about your experience in the SMP: How would you rate the professors and the methodology?
The faculty that teaches this content is of the highest quality. Almost none of them have a strictly academic profile, but rather they have impressive experience in the real business world. Therefore, their perspectives are very oriented toward the reality of the business world. This business realism makes their approach very different. You could say they get straight to the point and focus on what’s really important at a company.
The “case study” methodology makes the academic part very bearable, in addition to being a very practical way of acquiring and retaining new knowledge.
Any other reasons why you would recommend other people do the SMP?
The fact that the course is in person is a plus. The knowledge of such incredible speakers is conveyed much better in small groups.
Plus, the admissions selection process ensures that the group of students has a very good level. The people enrolled in the program already have high-level management positions, and that enriches the classes beyond what the speakers are presenting.
Lastly, the networking that takes place during the course is a highlight. It’s very intense and interesting.