13 de June de 2019
Lina María Piñeros Castilla is an Alumni ambassador in Colombia, after completing the Master in Marketing and Commercial Management at EAE's Barcelona Campus. She now works at Attmosferas in her home country, Colombia.
You are the Director of Marketing at Attmosferas and have just left your job at Century 21 Capital Real Estate in Bogotá. How did you reach this position?
CENTURY 21 is the world's best-known real estate brand, with over 40 years' experience, operating in 81 countries, with more than 8,800 branches and 122,000 real estate agents. Moreover, it was one of the founders of the brand in Colombia, having operated in the market for over 12 years. I held the post of Director of Marketing, which enabled me to put a lot of the knowledge I acquired on the Master into practice. My duties included designing and executing initiatives and strategies that enhance the brand's positioning, building corporate alliances for fully exploiting our portfolio of services, designing and implementing digital marketing strategies for strengthening the brand and acquiring new clients. I also supervised the social media and support, as well as overseeing the monitoring of the commercial team.
You took the Master in Marketing and Commercial Management at EAE. What do you remember most about your studies?
In my opinion, the Master in Marketing and Commercial Management is a very comprehensive program with a great marketing focuses that is very well complemented by the sales side of things, which is a real advantage nowadays because these areas are related and the training really adds value in companies. At a personal level, the course that I liked most was Branding, taught by the lecturer Raúl Ciprés, thanks to his dynamism, approach, the huge amount I learned and the incredible experiences that the lecturer could share from his professional career. In addition, I had the chance to gain a more in-depth insight into digital marketing, which is now a key part of my work, as well as branding.
What can you tell us about your studies at EAE in terms of lecturers and classmates?
With respect to the faculty, I would highlight the extensive professional background that they all have, which is a really valuable advantage in each course, because you learn based in real cases. The lecturers who I remember particularly fondly and who made the biggest impact on me in one way or another include Raúl Ciprés, Francesc Rufas, Ignacio Alba and José Ramón Robinat (QEPD).
At a personal level, it was a great opportunity being able to share experiences with so many people from other countries and culture. When you move abroad, you leave lots of things behind. I got unconditional support from my friends and the chance to grow an experience lots of things together. We became one big family at that point. I still have friends from the School here in Colombia and in other countries in Latin America, as well as others who have stayed in Barcelona.
Do you keep in contact with EAE Business School?
Before becoming an Alumni Ambassador, I took part in various different talks and networking events that the School organizes, which is a great way to keep in touch with EAE, in my opinion.
You are an Alumni Ambassador in Colombia. What role do you want to play as a representative in this community?
Being an Ambassador in my country is a great opportunity to strengthen the relations between EAE and its former students, meet people who comprise this fantastic community to enable the constant exchange of experiences and reinforce the sense of belonging that we all have with respect to the School. I have a dual role. For new students who are going to go to Spain to take a Master, I can tell them about my own experience as a former student, as well as helping them to clear up any doubts they may have and putting them in direct contact with the School. Secondly, with respect to former students, in my opinion, it is important to take advantage of the services and platforms that EAE provides for us to continue our professional and academic development. The idea is to strengthen and enhance our relationship with the School after having gained the qualification.
What does your time studying at EAE mean to you?
It was a really incredible experience at both a professional and personal level. Making the decision to study abroad was a huge turning point in my life. Studying at EAE has been really rewarding in terms of my professional growth after graduating, the chance to share the experience with people from other countries and the great opportunity to learn from lecturers with an excellent professional level and great personal qualities.
What impact have your studies at EAE had on your personal and professional career?
When I went back to Colombia, I realized how valuable it had been to study in another country. Companies really value your experience abroad, both academically and professionally. I had the opportunity to do an internship for 6 months in Barcelona, which is a real plus for my curriculum.
Would you recommend EAE?
I would definitely recommend EAE. From the moment I started my admission process, I had constant support from the office in Colombia and continuous communication with the School in Barcelona, which made the whole process far more enjoyable. I would recommend EAE for the quality of its programs, its reputation in Spain and around the world, the comprehensive experience it gives its students, its lecturers and the great lessons I learned for my professional and personal life.