We head to Barcelona, Spain, to IESE to meet some new members of the MBA Class of 2027 in this edition of Real Humans: MBA Students.
To start, a chemical engineer from Buenos Aires with over seven years in oil and gas, Antonieta Bianchi, came to IESE to transition from technical expertise to strategic leadership. Drawn by the school’s people-centered mission and global community, she’s eager to share her experience as a woman in a male-dominated field while pursuing a future in finance. With a background spanning consulting, tech, and healthtech across Africa, we then meet Victor Musila Mutunga, who is using the IESE MBA to gain investment and leadership skills for building sustainable businesses in emerging markets. He values IESE’s global perspective, case-method rigor, and values-driven culture that align with his vision for impact investing. After nearly a decade leading global communications for tech companies like Coursera, Maria-Ni Ikonomou joined IESE to “unlearn and relearn” in a truly international classroom. She brings a storyteller’s voice and an educator’s heart to discussions on communication, equity, and global leadership while exploring new creative and entrepreneurial directions in Barcelona.
Plus, an Australian engineer and safety leader turned MBA candidate, Tim Lie joined IESE to pivot internationally into impact investing or complex operational leadership. His analytical rigor, people-first mindset, and enthusiasm for teamwork embody IESE’s collaborative spirit and global learning culture. We also hear from a mechanical engineer and former McKinsey consultant from the UK, Tom Pickering, who launched his own boutique operations consultancy before beginning his MBA. He chose IESE for its case-method intensity and entrepreneurial pathways, aiming to grow his business while contributing energy and cohesion to the Class of 2027. Finally, a Tokyo-based strategy consultant, Yuna Ogano came to IESE to move from advising to leading through real decision-making. She’s passionate about cross-cultural collaboration, the case-method learning experience, and building frameworks that foster global business expansion and education reform.
Read on for more from these new IESE MBA students, what they learned during the admissions process and more.
