In conversation with… Lisa Hehenberger
Lisa Hehenberger, dean of Esade Business School, talks to Ambition editor Colette Doyle about measuring the impact of education, understanding the language of AI, promoting diversity and how the MBA has managed to retain its relevance
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to be in your current role “I have been at Esade for around 10 years, building initiatives that connect research, teaching and practice. I first led the Esade Entrepreneurship Institute and later founded the Esade Centre for Social Impact, focusing on impact investing, philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and impact measurement. More recently, we launched the Esade Chair in Social Impact, consolidating a field I had worked in for many years and connecting it more closely with the wider school. “Before joining Esade, I worked in mergers and acquisitions in London, Madrid and Barcelona, completed my PhD on venture philanthropy and served as research director at the European Venture Philanthropy Association, now Impact Europe. That gave me the opportunity to work closely with investors, foundations, policy actors and European institutions around the development of social entrepreneurship. “As dean, the challenge is broader: aligning faculty, programmes, research, companies, alumni and international strategy around a clear ambition, while ensuring that Esade remains academically excellent, financially sustainable and relevant to students and employers. It is about asking what impact means for the school itself and how we prepare students for a fast-changing world.” What have been some of your career highlights? “One important turning point was moving from a career in investment banking to undertaking my PhD. I wanted to understand how companies could generate sustainable profits while also addressing societal challenges and creating positive impact. After completing that, I spent several years working closely with practitioners through Impact Europe. “When I later joined Esade, I found the right environment to develop fully as a professor, researcher and institutional builder. Creating the Esade Centre for Social Impact and the Esade Chair in Social Impact allowed me to consolidate a long- standing line of work: connecting academic rigour with how impact is generated, measured, funded and scaled responsibly. “Becoming dean is another pivot. I am no longer focusing only on a research field or centre, but on the whole school: its
academic portfolio, faculty, students, corporate and institutional relationships, international positioning and capacity to respond to shifts such as AI, geopolitics and changing expectations around graduate management education.” With the rise of alternative providers such as LinkedIn and Coursera, how does the MBA need to reinvent itself to remain relevant? “Alternative providers such as Coursera or LinkedIn Learning are useful for targeted upskilling – and business schools have to recognise that reality. However, they are not a substitute for the MBA experience. An MBA is not only about content; it brings together classroom learning, peer interaction, faculty guidance, international exposure, leadership development, corporate connections and decision-making in complex settings. “At Esade, this is reflected in the MBA experience as a whole: its international cohort, close connection with companies, entrepreneurship and the innovation ecosystem, leadership development, career support and experiential learning opportunities. Initiatives such as the Social Impact Lab and Esade SUD (Servicio Universitario de Desarrollo or University Development Service) are examples of how students can also engage with social impact, communities and real organisational challenges. “The MBA remains relevant if it offers something deeper than access to information: transformation, community, credibility and the ability to prepare people for a changing future. The format may evolve, but the essence remains an intense learning experience that helps people rethink their career, leadership and contribution.” Your academic career has been deeply rooted in social entrepreneurship and establishing rigorous frameworks for impact measurement; how do you plan to apply those same impact- driven metrics within Esade? “For me, impact at Esade has three dimensions. The first is the impact we have on students. We want to understand how they are transformed during their time with us, not only through courses, but also through service-learning activities, exposure to
12 Ambition • ISSUE 4 • 2026
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