2026 Smith School Spring Commencement to Feature Distinguished Alumni Beatriz “Bea” Perez ’91 and Göran Espelund, MBA ’87 as Speakers

Undergraduate Commencement

Beatriz “Bea” Perez ’91 will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 19. Perez is Executive Vice President and Global Chief Communications, Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships Officer for The Coca-Cola Company and Chair, The Coca-Cola Foundation.

In her role, Perez oversees partnerships and stewards global communications and sustainability leadership for Coca-Cola. She plays a key role in driving business objectives to support brands, communities and partners worldwide. She leads strategic direction and business performance for the company's retail footprint and licensing assets, including the archives. Perez has also led strategic marketing assets, including partnerships with the International Olympic Committee and FIFA.

She previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for Coca-Cola North America, where she built some of the Company’s most historic entertainment and sports relationships. Perez began her career at the Company in 1994 and held various roles in brand management and field operations before becoming CMO.

As a marketing student at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, Perez said she built a foundation of data analytics, and that, combined with her approach of listening, learning and asking the right questions before reaching a conclusion or determining the course of action, is the basis of her success.

“I realized that Maryland's marketing and business programs put science at the center and used data and analytics to help us become better business people. We didn’t just use gut instinct to make decisions, and I value that,” Perez said in an interview with Smith from 2023.

She has been recognized for her work with many accolades, including being inducted as a member of the American Advertising Hall of Fame, the Sports Business Journal's Hall of Fame and the PR Week Hall of Fame. In 2023, she was awarded “She Runs It” Women of the Year and will receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2026.

Perez is a committed advocate for community engagement and serves in various leadership positions for several not-for-profit organizations, including the board of trustees of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Historical Society and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and was previously Chair of the GRAMMY Foundation. She is a public director for Primerica and W.W. Grainger, Inc.

Graduate Commencement

The keynote speaker for the Graduate Ceremony will be Göran Espelund, MBA ’87. Espelund is renowned for his work, spending decades to shape the Swedish investment landscape.

When considering graduate school, Espelund had options as a Fulbright Scholar from Sweden. He received offers from five U.S. programs, but he chose the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business for its close-knit community and proximity to Washington, D.C.

“Getting my MBA here was life-changing,” he said during a 2020 interview with Smith. “That learning experience and camaraderie are with me still today.”

Espelund also recalls the mentorship he received from professors, who pushed him to participate in class. “I could barely speak in front of people coming here,” he said. “I improved a lot.” Most of all, Espelund credits Smith for introducing him to his wife, Cristina (Mencia) Espelund ’85, MBA ’88.

After finishing their overlapping graduate programs, the couple settled in Sweden.

After a 12-year career at Robur, Sweden’s largest mutual fund manager, Göran and his partners launched Lannebo Fonder, an active equity fund management firm that helps clients beat the market while staying true to the principles of responsible investment. Göran served as the CEO for many years before transitioning to Executive Chairman of the Board.

In Feb 2024, the company was sold to Öhman Asset Management, creating the largest privately owned fund management company in the Nordic countries.

Today, Göran and Cristina are engaged in their family office, investing in both private and public companies in combination with their philanthropic activities. He remains involved with Smith as a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors.

“As a member of the Smith community,” he said, “I’m getting more than I’m possibly giving.”