As keynote speaker at IE’s 2025 graduation, Saffron’s CEO shared five timeless tools to guide students into their future.

A rare moment of perfect balance

Co-founder and CEO Jacob Benbunan delivered the keynote speech at IE University’s 2025 graduation ceremony in Segovia, Spain. He presented to an impressive crowd: 160 graduates representing 48 nationalities across five future-shaping degree programmes—Computer Science &amp; Artificial Intelligence, Data &amp; Business Analytics, Business Administration &amp; Business Data Analytics, Design, and Architectural Studies—joined by more than 450 family members and friends. Rather than focusing on careers, he spoke about how to navigate the unexpected of the path forward.

‘Graduates, today marks not an ending, but a beginning,’ he said, inviting the class of 2025 to consider five tools for the future:
<ol><li dir="ltr">Curiosity, 'the compass that never fails' </li><li dir="ltr">Work ethic, 'a superpower that cannot be replaced by talent alone' </li><li dir="ltr">Doubt, 'the beginning of wisdom' </li><li dir="ltr">Success, 'a byproduct, not the goal' </li><li dir="ltr">AI, 'an opportunity, not an apocalypse'</li></ol>
While celebrating the power of technology, Jacob made a strong case for what he calls NI, or Natural Intelligence; qualities like ethical judgment, creativity, and emotional insight that remain uniquely human.
‘The most promising future is not about AI replacing humans, but creating new opportunities that leverage our uniquely human capabilities to help society thrive.’

The speech was a reminder that design, tech, and business aren’t separate disciplines, they’re deeply interconnected tools to help shape a more thoughtful world.
‘The path forward is not a straight line,’ Jacob concluded. ‘It will twist and turn in ways you cannot predict. Walk it with courage, with purpose, and with joy.’ As an independent global consultancy, Saffron takes pride in helping shape the next generation of thinkers and leaders. Our longstanding relationship with IE University is an ongoing exchange of ideas and shared ambition. Time and again, it reminds us of the power of the meaningful dialogue between academia and industry. Congratulations to the students and teachers from the Class of 2025.

Jacob Benbunan on navigating the unexpected

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Jacob Benbunan on navigating the unexpected

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