BMI Executive Institute and Louvain School of Management (UCLouvain) proudly celebrated the graduation of the International Executive MBA Class of 2026 in Brussels, marking the completion of a demanding 15-month executive learning journey.
This year’s ceremony also marked an important milestone for Louvain School of Management (UCLouvain) and BMI Executive Institute: the fifth cohort has now completed the joint Executive MBA programme.
The event brought together graduates, families, academic partners, faculty, alumni, and distinguished guests to recognise the participants’ achievement, academic progress, practical work, and continued commitment to lifelong learning.
Jurga Bendikaitė-Ursavaş, Director General of BMI Executive Institute, opened the ceremony and welcomed the graduating class. In her address, she reflected on the importance of continuous learning in a business environment shaped by constant change, technological development, and increasingly complex leadership challenges.
The ceremony reflected the strength of the UCLouvain-BMI partnership and the international academic foundation of the programme. Prof. Dr. James Thewissen, Associate Professor, Vice-Dean of Corporate Relations and Communication at Louvain School of Management, Academic Director of the joint EMBA programme, and member of the BMI Executive Institute Academic Council, addressed the graduates and presented the Best Capstone Project in Strategy Award to Kaoutar Bertrand.
Strategic achievement was further recognised by Prof. Jean-Paul Larçon, Co-Chair of the BMI Executive Institute Board and Professor Emeritus at HEC Paris, who has been closely connected to BMI since its early years. He presented the second Best Capstone Project in Strategy Award to Denis Leysen.
The entrepreneurial and practical side of the Executive MBA journey was represented by Roald Sieberath, entrepreneur, investor, business leader, Invest Manager at Noshaq, and UCLouvain graduate. As keynote speaker, he shared reflections on innovation, growth, and leadership beyond the diploma, and presented the Best Company Creation Capstone Project Award to Kevin Meessen and Quentin Grutman for their project “Scaling Trust in the Age of Digital Assets: A Strategic Growth Roadmap for NGRAVE.”
BMI Executive Institute was also honoured to welcome Prof. Dominique Rouziès, Academic Dean of BMI Executive Institute and Professor of Marketing at HEC Paris. Her presence reflected BMI’s long-standing academic partnership with HEC Paris, one of the Institute’s founding schools. Prof. Rouziès presented the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievements to Yannick Rongvaux.
Graduation also marked the graduates’ transition into the wider international alumni community. Marie-Pierre Saint Viteux, President of the Alumni Louvain School of Management Association, and Ignace Mullens, Founder of Work-Out and alumnus of the first joint UCLouvain-BMI Executive MBA cohort, congratulated the class and presented the Discovery Award to Satya Chilla, recognising curiosity and dedication to lifelong learning.
The ceremony also included reflections from class representatives Matilde Masciulli and Quentin Grutman, who spoke on behalf of the graduating cohort and captured the spirit, humour, and unity built throughout the programme.
Congratulations once again to the UCLouvain-BMI International Executive MBA Class of 2026!
May this achievement mark the beginning of stronger decisions, broader professional impact, and continued connection to the BMI and UCLouvain alumni communities.