On 9 July, Advantere School of Management proudly celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2026, marking the end of an academic journey defined by learning, transformation, collaboration, and purpose.
The ceremony brought together graduates, families, faculty, staff, and academic representatives to honor the achievements of students from the Master in International Management (MIM), Master in Finance (MIF), and Master in Talent Management (MTM).
More than the completion of a master’s program, graduation represented a moment of transition: a time to recognize what had been achieved, celebrate the community built along the way, and look ahead to the professional and personal journeys that now begin.
A Journey of Growth and Purpose
Throughout their time at Advantere, students were challenged to think critically, work across cultures, collaborate in diverse teams, and apply their knowledge to real business and social challenges.
In his address, Dr. Juan de la Guardia, Managing Director of Advantere, reminded graduates that business leadership today requires more than technical expertise. It requires responsibility, ethical judgment, and a clear understanding of the impact every decision can have on people, organizations, and society.
His message reflected one of the core principles of the Advantere experience: knowledge becomes meaningful when it is placed at the service of something greater. This idea is central to our mission of preparing leaders who are not only capable of managing complexity, but also committed to creating positive and responsible impact.
Lessons for a Meaningful Life
This year’s commencement speaker, Mr. Ignacio de la Torre, Chief Economist at Arcano and member of the MREF Advisory Board, shared a powerful reflection on the lessons that shape both professional success and a meaningful life.
His speech invited graduates to remain humble, invest in real human relationships, defend freedom of thought, continue learning, and leave every place better than they found it. One of his central messages was that success should not only be measured by what we achieve, but also by what we help others achieve.
These words resonated deeply with Advantere’s purpose-driven approach to business education, where academic excellence is connected to character, service, and responsibility.
Recognizing Academic Excellence and Outstanding Capstone Projects
A key moment of the ceremony was the recognition of students who stood out for their academic excellence and the quality of their capstone projects.
In the Master in Talent Management (MTM), Tal Carmi was recognized as Valedictorian. The award for Best Capstone Project went to “Advantere Alumni Community”, developed by Tal Carmi and Julia Valverde.
In the Master in International Management (MIM), Hidaya Ougui was named Valedictorian. The award for Best Capstone Project went to “mAInd”, developed by Michael Zitz, Paloma Martínez, and Sophie El Haddad.
In the Master in Finance (MIF), Agustin Schvartz was recognized as Valedictorian. The award for Best Capstone Project went to “Beyond Value & Quality: Integrating Price Trend Filters to Mitigate Value Traps in Magic Formula Investing”, developed by Roger Bartumeu Raméntol.
These awards reflect the talent, effort, and intellectual curiosity of students across Advantere’s master’s programs, as well as their ability to turn learning into applied, relevant, and forward-looking projects.
A Community That Goes Beyond the Classroom
The ceremony was also a celebration of the relationships built throughout the year. Student representatives shared reflections on friendship, gratitude, uncertainty, courage, and the sense of belonging that defined their time at Advantere.
Speaking on behalf of the Master in International Management, Altèa Luisa Marie Patanè captured the intensity and richness of the journey, reminding her classmates that graduation was “not only a celebration of receiving a degree” but also “a celebration of everything that happened along the way.” She described Advantere as both challenging and rewarding, and reflected on the personal growth of a diverse cohort that arrived from different countries and left as a community. As she put it, “we all saw Advantere as an opportunity: an opportunity to do better this year, an opportunity to grow, to discover more about ourselves.”
For the Master in Finance, Loren Gwendolin Appelmann invited her classmates to pause and appreciate the present moment before rushing into the future. Her words reflected the emotional side of graduation: the gratitude for shared experiences, friendships, and everything built together throughout the year. “Your jobs will change. Your plans will change. But the people, the memories, and this year will stay with us far beyond this moment,” she shared, before closing with a powerful reminder: “wherever you go next, life is better when you don’t travel alone.”
Representing the Master in Talent Management, Rafael Ignacio Vela Hernández emphasized the role of community in personal transformation. He thanked families, faculty, staff, and classmates for shaping the experience, noting that “from each of you, I have learned something valuable.” Looking ahead, he encouraged his classmates to face the future with courage and unity: “Let us create communities, not divisions; build bridges, not walls; and choose love over fear.”
Together, these reflections captured something essential about the Advantere experience: students arrive from different countries, backgrounds, and paths, but leave connected by a shared journey of growth, trust, diversity, and mutual support.
Congratulations, Class of 2026
Graduation is both an ending and a beginning. For Advantere’s Class of 2026, it marks the start of a new chapter shaped by ambition, purpose, and the responsibility to lead with integrity.
To all graduates: congratulations on this achievement. Your journey at Advantere has prepared you not only to build successful careers, but also to contribute to a better, more human, and more responsible future.
Congratulations, Class of 2026. Your next chapter starts now.