Lucas Martinez, founder of Talent.com, opens the 2026/27 academic year at UPF Barcelona School of Management

A new academic year has begun at UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM), and to celebrate the occasion and welcome the school’s new students, the opening ceremony for the 2026/27 academic year took place yesterday. Lucas Martinez, founder of international employment and talent platform Talent.com, which operates in more than 77 countries, delivered the keynote address at UPF-BSM’s Institutional Welcome Ceremony.

More than 1,500 students are joining the school’s community this academic year. Most of them are international students, representing 73 nationalities, and more than 60% are women.

The ceremony was opened by Elizabeth Álvarez Girón, Global Director for Open Programs and Talent Attraction at UPF-BSM. “This year, you will share your classrooms with people from very different backgrounds, disciplines, cultures and nationalities. Make the most of it. This diversity of perspectives is one of the great strengths of our School and an essential part of the way we understand learning,” Álvarez Girón explained. “Do not think of UPF-BSM simply as the place where you come to attend classes. Make it your own,” she said.

For his part, Lucas Martinez began his keynote address by sharing with students the journey that had led him to his current position. “A few words of encouragement can change what someone is willing to attempt,” he explained. “You are going to learn from your professors, but some of the conversations that can change your life might happen over a coffee with the person sitting next to you today,” he noted.

Ambition and a global mindset

The founder of Talent.com also encouraged students to think big and, above all, on a global scale. “You can build companies that create thousands of jobs, you can develop solutions that are used in many countries. You can lead institutions that open opportunities for people who do not have them today. Your contribution can take many forms, but I encourage you to think on a global scale,” he said. “Work with people from other places, learn from them and use all of that to raise the level of what you set out to do,” Lucas Martinez added.

The executive spoke about the importance of ambition when building projects, as well as the value of finding one’s vocation and forging one’s own path. “I hope that your time here helps you build and find something that excites you, that you meet people who open up possibilities you had not even considered. And when something sparks your ambition, give yourself the opportunity to explore it,” he concluded.

A new path, new challenges

The next to take the stage were representatives of the students beginning their studies: Martina Sopena (Master in Corporate and Strategic Communication), Kashish Hapani (Full-Time MBA) and Damilola Killanin (Master in Public and Social Policies). They shared their reflections on the excitement and nerves of starting a new chapter, the challenges it presents and how to face them, as well as their conviction that they had chosen a path that made sense to them.

The ceremony was closed by José M. Martínez-Sierra, Director General of UPF-BSM: “UPF-BSM is much more than a place where you come to learn. You are part of an ecosystem of companies, institutions, professors and alumni that is present around the world and shares a common vocation: to support and help you throughout your professional development. We hope that, when you complete this stage and continue moving forward in your careers, you will feel that this is your home too.”