A few weeks ago we were delighted to welcome José Antonio, Chief Financial Officer of British Airways, to speak at our Aim Higher Assembly. His visit was both inspiring and eye-opening for our prep and senior students.

José shared his remarkable journey to becoming CFO, showing that success is built on hard work, determination, and perseverance. His path included:

Studying in Madrid, Spain
Serving as 2nd Lieutenant in the Spanish Calvary
Working in Investment Banking at JP Morgan in New York
Completing an MBA at INSEAD in France and Singapore
Joining McKinsey as a strategic consultant
Becoming CFO of Iberia, Spain’s flagship airline
Attending Harvard Business School’s Advanced CFO Programme
And finally, becoming CFO of British Airways in 2023

One powerful message José shared with our students was the importance of showing genuine commitment and passion, because employers want to see the drive behind why you want to be part of their company.

He also shared that only 8% of British Airways pilots are female, encouraging more girls to consider careers in aviation. To make the experience even more engaging, he brought two aircraft life jackets and demonstrated how they inflate!

We are incredibly grateful to José for taking the time to visit and deliver such a motivating and valuable message.