16 October 2026
Bilbao
Over 120 participants, together with faculty, family, and friends, gathered on Friday 16 October in the Ceremonial Hall at the University of Deusto for the graduation ceremony of the following 2025–2026 Executive Education programmes at Deusto Business School: Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA)
Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA Online)
Expert Programme in General Management (PDG)
Expert Programme in Financial Management (PEDF)
Expert Programme in Innovation and Healthcare Management (EIGS) | Basque Country Edition
Expert Programme in Innovation and Healthcare Management (EIGS) | Madrid Edition
Leading from the Board Programme (LdC) | Basque Country Edition
Leading from the Board Programme (LdC) | Madrid Edition
The event featured contributions from, among others, Almudena Eizaguirre, Director General of Executive Education; Macarena Cuenca, Dean of Deusto Business School; Antón Azlor, President of Deusto Business Alumni; and some of the newly graduated participants.
Also in attendance were Leyre Goitia, Secretary of Deusto Business School, who acted as master of ceremonies, and Laura Abasolo García de Baquedano, former Managing Director of Finance and Control at Telefónica and currently a Director at Cellnex Telecom and a member of its Capital Allocation Committee (Deusto Business School Class of 1995), who served as the class patron.
The ceremony opened with a speech by the Director of Executive Education, Almudena Eizaguirre, who expressed her hope that the newly graduated students would become distinguished ambassadors of the humanistic leadership approach fostered at Deusto Business School: a humanism that, through self-awareness and collaboration with stakeholders, places the dignity of people at its centre to generate both economic and social value. She also expressed her confidence that the newly graduated students have acquired knowledge and skills, while learning to approach situations through the lens of humanistic leadership, applying a strong measure of courage. She reminded the audience that courage, together with excellence, integrity, cooperation, and openness, is one of the pillars on which the identity of Deusto Business School is founded.
The Director General of Executive Education then handed over the floor to the sponsor of the graduating class. Laura Abasolo shared some of the key lessons she has learnt during her career spanning more than 26 years at Telefónica, where she went on to become a member of the Executive Committee and serve as the group’s chief financial officer. In her speech, she encouraged the graduates to keep their curiosity alive, never stop learning and face new challenges with confidence and courage. She also highlighted the importance of listening, questioning one’s own assumptions and fostering diversity of thought as key to developing the kind of leadership needed to respond to the challenges of an ever-changing environment.
Another central message of her speech was the importance of people and teamwork. She advocated an approachable, participative style of leadership based on trust, empathy and recognition, reminding the graduates that great achievements are always the result of shared effort. She also encouraged the cohort to nurture the relationships they had built during their time at Deusto Business School, take charge of their professional journeys and create their own opportunities, without allowing fear to hold them back. To conclude, she invited them to define their own vision of success and enjoy the journey, emphasising that preparation, attitude and the courage to take the next step make all the difference.
Following a brief musical interlude, the ceremony moved on to its central moment: Alfonso Gil López-Areal and Saioa Eibar Rebollo, participants in the Healthcare Innovation and Management Expert Programme and the General Management Expert Programme, respectively, solemnly read the Graduation Pledge in Spanish and Basque, respectively.
Oliver Pavel Onica, a participant in the Executive MBA, then spoke on behalf of the graduating class. He emphasised that, beyond the knowledge and tools they had gained, their experience at Deusto Business School had enabled them to build genuine friendships, forge relationships based on trust and broaden their understanding of success and leadership. “Learning that has often emerged from conversations, debates and shared experiences with fellow participants, highlighting the people they have met as one of the most valuable legacies of this stage in their professional development.”
Anton Azlor, president of Deusto Business Alumni, also spoke at the ceremony. He welcomed the newly graduated students to the alumni community, highlighting the benefits of building connections and fostering a sense of community.
Finally, Macarena Cuenca, Dean of Deusto Business School, took the floor to reflect on the recent visit by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú, who called on the community to keep its conscience alive, embrace individual and collective responsibility, and put knowledge at the service of human dignity.
She also emphasised the importance of celebrating and recognising the efforts made, reminding those present that Deusto Business School aims to develop leaders who place human dignity at the heart of their work. She encouraged the graduates to let their experience and the “Deusto spirit” they had acquired continue to drive positive change wherever their paths may take them.
The Ars Canticum Ensemble Choir provided musical accompaniment for the ceremony, which concluded with the piece Gaudeamus Igitur.
