A few days ago the Graduate School of Economics of Barcelona offered me the opportunity to take part in the closing ceremony at the latest graduation of students who had taken Master’s Degrees in Economics and Finance, Specialised Economic Analysis and Data Science. Although I am an engineer and am specialised in Energy, I meet professionals from the fields of economics and finance every day and consider them to be essential for the development of a strong, healthy business fabric.
I regularly take part in forums and conferences, but this occasion was special because of the public I was addressing: young, diverse, full of talent and with their entire careers ahead of them, destined to become the economists who will be the leaders of our world in the near future.
Globalisation has brought significant advantages but also a number of economic, social and political consequences that remain unresolved and present a challenge for future leaders.
With this in mind, and from the perspective that I have as president of a company like Enagás, I am very much aware of how important it is to have good leaders in this increasingly global world. During the presentation I therefore wanted to emphasise certain traits such as initiative, flexibility, perseverance and ability to adapt that I consider fundamental for becoming a top professional.
New channels of communication and improved transportation systems – technology in particular – are opening up a borderless world where anyone who sets out to do so is able to achieve great things. My words today, and those I used during my speech, encourage all young people to fight to meet their goals as the world’s future depends solely on them.
During this event I also had the opportunity to listen to recent graduates from Barcelona’s GSE who are already part of the work force. They gave an interesting insight on specialisation and new areas of research such as Data Science that has already has become a cornerstone of many businesses.
Of course, I also met the students of the 2016 Academic Year – the true stars at this event – whose enthusiasm and desire to undertake and face new challenges was felt by everyone in the room. To all of them, congratulations on their graduation.