The Alumni Reunion Weekend in June 2026 gave us the chance to catch up with Florence Bares MIM’21, INSEAD donor, fundraiser and volunteer. She told us about her international career, INSEAD in lockdown, and what the alumni community means to her.
Florence grew up in France and completed her undergraduate studies in England. As a student and intern, she spent time in Paris, Hamburg, Madrid and Chile. It was an adventurous life, and in 2020 she decided to channel her energy into a management degree. INSEAD’s global focus naturally appealed to Florence. “I lacked the experience for an MBA, but was intrigued by the new Master in Management (MIM) programme. ‘The MIM is for people who want to get the most out of life,’ INSEAD said, and that really resonated with me,” she explains.
So, in September 2020, Florence arrived in Fontainebleau as part of the first cohort of MIM students. Unfortunately, circumstances conspired to make that year exceptional for other reasons too: the MIM students landed in the midst of the COVID lockdown, which meant social distancing, Zoom classes, and quarantine.
The lockdown might have deprived Florence’s class of a typical INSEAD experience, but it also generated unique solidarity. “Despite the circumstances, the school went out of its way to immerse us in the INSEAD culture. Being such a small class, we went through it all together and became incredibly supportive of one another,” she says.
Perhaps this unity forged in adversity is the reason why the class of MIM’21 is outstandingly loyal in terms of philanthropy. In 2026, MIM’21 ranked 12th of all classes by participation for Giving Day, INSEAD’s annual fundraising campaign. Moreover, seven MIM’21 alumni, including Florence, have donated for six consecutive years (including as students). For their reunion in June 2026, MIM’21 again showed their loyalty to giving, with a strong 24% of the cohort making donations to the class gift.
Florence has been a driver of this loyalty. “It comes naturally to me to stay involved, to give back to INSEAD,” she says. Florence is instrumental as a class fundraiser and an active reunion volunteer, and has recently been appointed as the Young Alumni Representative to the INSEAD Board of Directors. She also gives her time to INSEAD as an admissions interviewer for prospective MIM students. "It's a fascinating role," she says. "I try to get a full picture of the candidates and imagine how they'd behave in an INSEAD environment."
As for Florence herself, her post-INSEAD career is still international. After graduation, she worked as a BCG consultant in Bogota, Colombia. In 2024, she joined Evertec (NYSE:EVTC), one of the largest S&P 600 technology companies in Latin America, where she is now Chief of Staff to the CEO, and based in Miami, USA. She loves her new role: "Getting to understand how the CEO of a billion-dollar company thinks is such a privilege. I help him convey his message, make sure his priorities come to life, and that nothing falls through the cracks."
Returning to campus for the first reunion of the first INSEAD MIM class is emotional for Florence. “It's crazy to think it’s been five years! And it’s great to see all my peers succeeding as I knew they would.”
It’s this sense of community that makes INSEAD matter to Florence. “In both Bogota and Miami, I reached out to the local INSEAD community – wherever I am, alumni are aways welcoming,” she says. And now Florence is helping to build this community through her engagement and volunteering. “The MIM community is growing – I see more and more MIMs at alumni events. Often, when I’m interviewing a MIM candidate, I think, I would’ve loved to study with you – and I can't wait to meet you one day at an Alumni Forum!”
