Three programmes that underpin the profile
The academic track that supports the independent director profile combines three complementary programmes: corporate governance formalised in ESADE's Programa para Consejeros; the global business management vision developed in ENEB's Global MBA; and the leadership of information systems and technology covered in depth in OBS's Master in IT Management, with university degree certified by Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.
This page details, for each of them, the training objectives, the areas of knowledge covered and the capabilities acquired that are relevant to the exercise of board duties.
Programa para Consejeros
- Institution
- ESADE Business School · Executive Education
- Period
- 2025 — completion June 2026
- Format
- Advanced corporate governance programme
- Key feature
- In collaboration with PwC
Spain's reference programme for the training of future independent directors, designed to provide a comprehensive vision of good corporate governance and up-to-date knowledge about 21st-century boards of directors. The methodology combines ESADE's academic rigour with the practical experience contributed by PwC and by active directors, corporate secretaries and board advisors.
Areas of knowledge
| Area | Content |
|---|---|
| Good corporate governance | Regulatory framework, CNMV recommendations, code of good governance |
| Board composition and dynamics | Roles, specialised committees, board evaluation |
| Director responsibilities | Fiduciary duties, duty of care, civil and criminal liability |
| Committees and supervision | Audit, nominations, remuneration, risk committees |
| Strategy from the board | Strategic planning, M&A, succession, sustainability and ESG |
| Real cases | Analysis of governance situations in listed and family-owned companies |
Capabilities acquired
- Participate with confidence and solvency in 21st-century boards of directors.
- Exercise independent director functions with the rigour demanded by the CNMV Good Governance Code.
- Apply analytical instruments and criteria to real corporate governance cases.
- Access the Club Consejeros ESADE Alumni network and the Center for Corporate Governance.
Upon completion, the programme grants access to Club Consejeros ESADE Alumni, a network of directors, board members and prospective directors with exclusive access to the ESADE Corporate Governance Centre resources.
Global MBA
- Institution
- ENEB · Escuela de Negocios Europea de Barcelona
- Period
- 2025 · 14 months · 90 ECTS
- Format
- Double degree with Specialisation Diploma in Innovation and Project Management
- Key feature
- Academic materials from Harvard Business Publishing Education
MBA programme with international orientation focused on business management from a global perspective. Its modular structure (twenty-two blocks) covers the functional areas essential for general management and provides cross-cutting decision frameworks directly applicable to the exercise of board duties.
Areas of knowledge
| Area | Content |
|---|---|
| Strategy and business model | Vision and mission, strategic plan, competitive analysis, business models |
| Corporate finance | Financial accounting, management accounting, company valuation, due diligence, fintech |
| Marketing and commercial | Marketing strategy, marketing analytics, e-commerce, international commercial distribution |
| Operations management | Supply chain, process quality, operational planning, digital business |
| Talent management | Strategic HR, corporate culture, international teams, leadership skills |
| Data, AI and technology | Big Data, Business Intelligence, data analysis and interpretation, blockchain |
| Project Management | PMI / Lean / Six Sigma methodologies, cross-cutting project management, PMO |
Capabilities acquired
- Global and integrated business management vision, cross-cutting across all functional areas.
- Financial frameworks to assess business health: balance sheet, P&L, cash flow, ratios, valuation and due diligence.
- Judgement to evaluate technology investments, AI models and digital transformation projects.
- Ability to read and challenge strategic plans from project management and operations discipline.
- Understanding of regulatory impact in fintech and blockchain as emerging areas of board oversight.
The programme combines proprietary content with Harvard Business Publishing Education materials and is complemented by decision-making simulators and case studies based on real business scenarios.
Master in IT Management (CIO)
- Institution
- OBS Business School · Degree certified by Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
- Period
- 2016 · 12 months · 60 ECTS
- Format
- Advanced programme for Chief Information Officer
- Key feature
- With university degree backed by UAB
Programme structured in three blocks (ten subjects plus final project) specifically designed for the executive management of the systems and information technology department. It provides the complete frameworks for IT governance, technology risk management and regulatory compliance (GRC), an indispensable technical foundation for overseeing technology matters from a board of directors.
Areas of knowledge
| Area | Content |
|---|---|
| CIO role | Executive alignment, strategic plans, information systems in the organisation |
| Technology resources | Systems plan, services and projects portfolio, sourcing models, demand management |
| IT operations | Service Desk, SLAs, maintenance management, problems and changes |
| Technology innovation | Technology architecture, open innovation, new service models (cloud, app) |
| Technology offering | Information systems, make vs. buy, selection processes, RFI/RFP |
| Data, BI and Big Data | Business Intelligence, data warehouses, Big Data fundamentals, information ethics |
| Information systems projects | PMI / Lean / Six Sigma methodologies, TCO, data migration, change management |
| IT governance, risk and compliance (GRC) | Risk map, COSO / CobiT / ISO / ITIL frameworks, PCI, SoX, LOPD regulations |
| Departmental organisation | Technical personnel management, PMO, organisational structures, knowledge management |
| Contracting and legal aspects | Outsourcing, offshoring, LSSI, intellectual property, civil and criminal liability, data protection |
Capabilities acquired
- Complete IT governance frameworks (COSO, CobiT, ISO/IEC, ITIL) directly applicable to board-level supervision.
- Ability to assess the corporate technology risk map: cyber, compliance, third parties, personal data.
- Knowledge of regulatory frameworks critical to boards: PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SoX, LOPD/GDPR, NIS2, DORA.
- Technical language to hold in-depth conversations with the executive CIO/CISO and with IT auditors.
- Understanding of structural IT contracts: outsourcing, cloud, SLA/OLA, intellectual property and liability.
The faculty consisted of active CIOs from multinational groups (Almirall, Manpower, Danone, Pepsico, Benteler, Applus+), ISACA professionals and lawyers specialising in digital law — a combination that gave the programme the operational and regulatory perspective that today translates into board judgement.
From technical leadership to governance: a deliberately cumulative education
The training sequence is not accidental. The CIO Master (2016) provided the technical and IT governance foundation to lead the technology function in executive committees. The Global MBA (2025) completed the cross-functional business management vision needed to participate fully in general management. ESADE's Programa para Consejeros (2026) translates that executive foundation into the language and specific responsibilities of the governing body. The three trainings accumulate into a credential coherent with the profile's positioning: independent director focused on AI governance, technology risk and oversight of digital strategy.