At Advantere, we welcomed Ismael Clemente, CEO of MERLIN Properties, for a Leadership Talk that went far beyond real estate. Calm, honest, and deeply grounded, his conversation offered students a rare look into leadership shaped by values, discipline, and long-term responsibility.
With more than 25 years of experience and at the helm of the largest real estate company in the Iberian Peninsula, Clemente did not speak as a distant CEO. He spoke as someone who has lived every economic cycle and chosen principles over shortcuts.
Values as the Real Capital of Leadership
Clemente shared how his Jesuit education shaped not only his career, but his way of life. For him, leadership starts with honesty, reflection, and structure. More important than technical expertise, he believes values are the real capital behind sustainable success.
“Your environment shapes you more than you think,” he explained, highlighting the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and maintaining coherence between what you believe and how you act.
Leading Through Understanding, Not Distance
One of his strongest messages was simple but powerful: leaders must deeply understand the work their teams do. Not from spreadsheets, but from real knowledge of processes, language, and daily challenges.
He described leadership as a service role, where responsibility matters more than ownership, and tactics often matter more than grand strategy. Anticipating change, adapting fast, and staying close to people are key.
Real Advice for Future Leaders
Ismael Clemente offered practical, no-nonsense advice to students:
- Make your first mistakes in someone else’s company.
- Don’t pursue entrepreneurship without real expertise.
- Work hard early, before life becomes more complex.
- Choose effort over comfort. Growth comes from challenge.
A Leadership Lesson That Lasts
This Leadership Talk reminded us that leadership is not about titles or assets. It is about values, discipline, and the courage to act consistently over time.
Listening to Ismael Clemente was a powerful lesson in what responsible, human, and value-driven leadership truly looks like.
Beyond this leadership perspective, the real estate sector itself is entering a moment of profound transformation. Increasingly complex financial structures, global capital flows and higher demands on risk analysis are reshaping how investment decisions are made. In this context, the market is facing a growing need for new, highly trained talent, particularly in areas related to real estate finance, investment analysis and long-term value creation. It is within this evolving landscape that Advantere has launched the Master in Real Estate Finance (MREF), designed to respond to the skills and profiles the industry is demanding today. In line with this close connection to the sector, Ismael Clemente is a member of the Industry Experts Committee of the MREF, reinforcing the program’s alignment with real market needs and the realities of leadership in contemporary real estate.