On December 15, Mariella de Aurrecoechea, MBA, took office as deanof the School of Management and Social Sciences, continuing a period of profound renewal led by Dr. Teresa Cometto, whose tenure left a visible mark on the school’s structure, work culture, and academic aspirations.
For Cometto, this year was a “very intense” time, a period of strategic reevaluation in which every decision was guided by a single goal:academic excellence as a driver of transformation.
In his words, all decisions were guided by a common thread: “The cornerstone is academic excellence.”
Our goal is to ensure that, through structural changes and process improvements, we can help that academic excellence reach its full potential and, ultimately, shine.
Dr. Teresa Cometto
This commitment was reflected in concrete actions, such as the formation of a governance committee—which strengthens the Dean's Office in the medium and long term—and the review of degree programs and the creation of new ones, such as the Bachelor's Degree in Finance. Cometto ends his term with the conviction thatcollective work is essential for the institution to grow. "The smartest thing to do is to form teams that complement each other's weaknesses with each other's strengths," he said, noting that this approach was central to moving forward in a context of great challenges.
One of the highlights of his tenure wasthe opening of the Business School building at 919 Luis de la Torre. For Cometto, this milestone represents much more than just a construction project: “It is truly a milestone; it represents a center where excellence in learning is best achieved.”
In October, the faculty welcomed an international visiting panel, which highlighted its academic impact, congratulating the university on having an infrastructure that enhances the educational trajectory of students and the alumni community. As a result, the faculty received AMBA reaccreditation and, for the first time, BGA accreditation.
"The reaccreditation process helped us understand 'where we are very strong and where we need to make some changes and adjustments,'" said the outgoing dean.
As he bids farewell to the Dean's Office, he leaves behind a reflection that sums up his legacy:
Educating with excellence and responsibility creates a systemic impact. Developing ethical, innovative leaders with a sustainable outlook is not a secondary goal: it is the very essence of our mission. May we leave behind a faculty that is better prepared to change the world than to adapt to it.
Dr. Teresa Cometto
New leadership for a period of consolidation and opportunity
Mariella de Aurrecoechea, MBA,takes on the role of Dean with a career spanning more than three decades at Deloitte, where she led areas related to strategy, innovation, risk, sustainability, and value creation. Her arrival at the school comes at a time when the institution has strengthened structure—consolidated associate deanships, integrated academic coordination, and updated management processes—that enables progress on new strategic priorities.
For de Aurrecoechea, the connection between his career in the private sector and the university’s mission is a natural one. “At Deloitte, our purpose is to develop talent, and at the university, we are developing the best talent and the best skills,” he said.
The new dean also emphasizes that the future of work poses unprecedented challenges for younger generations. She argues that the rapid pace of technological change requires a constant ability to adapt: “We must lose our fear of unlearning and be willing to learn all the time.”
Personally, I always look at things from the perspective of opportunity. That’s what we need to convey: yes, there will be challenges, and it will take effort, but we have to see it as an opportunity.
Mariella de Aurrecoechea, MBA
De Aurrecoechea identifies numerous opportunities to strengthen the school’s standing, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, executive education, and academic innovation. He also highlighted the value of the knowledge generated by the research teams. “We need to ensure that all this valuable material has an impact on our students, on businesses, on the media, and on the country.”
Purpose, learning, and change: a shared vision
During their joint discussion, both deans reflected on their careers and the need to adapt to changing environments.
Cometto studied Pharmaceutical Chemistry and earned a PhD in Organization and Administration. De Aurrecoechea studied Public Accounting and earned an MBA. Their paths converged when they both led large teams at renowned regional firms, and today they work together in the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences.
The outgoing dean emphasized the value of defining her personal purpose: "To help people become the best version of themselves." According to her, academia "could not be more aligned with this purpose."
A clear purpose, many people who helped me, being open to help—asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness but of strength—and refraining from criticism, setting aside judgment so I can understand what really matters.
Dr. Teresa Cometto
For his part, De Aurrecoechea emphasized the transformative role that education played in his life. "In my case, education has been everything. I would not have had the opportunities I had without having studied. Studying and being able to develop yourself gives you the chance to advance in whatever you want to do, it gives you opportunities," he said, while Cometto added: "To be free."
The transition from Cometto to De Aurrecoechea marks not only a change in leadership, but also the continuity of an institutional vision that places academic excellence, innovation, and social impact at the heart of the future.
A school that prepares leaders not only to adapt to the world, but to improve it. The path forward is clear. Our energy is renewed. And the future is already underway.