Presented by Ignacio Parellada, president of the University’s Alumni Board, the event was attended by Eduardo Conde, partner at Seeliger y Conde and member of the UIC Barcelona Board of Trustees. With twenty-six years in the recruitment firm and more than 12,000 interviews behind him, Conde shared his experience and professional trajectory with the participants of the meeting and spoke on managing the success of a manager’s professional career.

Conde began his speech by referring to the three aspects needed for good professional development: knowing yourself, setting a goal and not being afraid to get out on the market. On the other hand, Conde also stressed that “aptitudes are just as important as attitudes; the postgraduate, master’s education for the career or experience is just as important as human relationship or emotional intelligence.” For this reason, he stressed the importance of aligning values and corporate culture with the convictions and priorities of the professional. “You have to be aware that you are hired for what you know, and you are fired for what you are,” he said.

Going deeper into the issue, Eduardo Conde emphasised the aptitudes of good manager: “A manager must have a genuine interest in people, a vision that goes beyond the day to day, decision-making capacity, good communication and, finally, passion for what they do.”

The breakfast ended with a word of thanks from the rector, Alfonso Méndiz, who used Conde’s own words to talk about today’s leaders. “The current crisis is a leadership crisis. It is important that leaders are open to others and willing to serve society.”