Testimonials

I decided to attend an MBA because I was at a point in my career where I knew that I wanted a change, and I wanted a structured way to explore opportunities in other regions and industries. For me, it was clear that I was at a turning point in my career, and I knew that an MBA would give me a platform to jump into what was next.

I researched a lot of MBAs, and having already worked internationally, I knew I wanted an international cohort. For this reason (and because I’m American), I only seriously considered European programs. While doing my research, I came across SDA Bocconi because of its strong position in the rankings. From there, I spoke with many people from the school as well as past students, and I felt like I really connected with them. So when I got the acceptance, SDA Bocconi was the clear choice.

SDA Bocconi has already been incredibly impactful on my professional and personal life. The smaller cohort lends itself to extremely strong friendships, and I already feel like I could reach out to people across the world for advice, career opportunities, or just to chat. From a professional point of view, the MBA gave me the opportunity to explore my options in the tech industry, and I’ve already started a full-time job in tech based out of Mexico City. I think if you take advantage of the opportunities and connections SDA Bocconi provides you, you can find a way to go into whichever industry you’re interested in.

From the first week, everything is exciting and you have the opportunity to make 100 new friends. Throughout the year, it can be an intense roller coaster of excitement, stress, hard work, and finally, decision-making. At the end, it’s all worth it.

The MBA offered me a fantastic opportunity for me to expand my professional network and develop my business leadership skills. At SDA Bocconi, a well-balanced combination of theory and practice thoroughly prepared me for the real world of business. Following my MBA, I began a brand-new professional path in Milan. My MBA helped me get where I am now by forming my viewpoints and prepared me to work with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

Following my MBA, I began a brand-new professional path in Milan. My MBA helped me get where I am now by forming my viewpoints and prepared me to work with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

My MBA at SDA Bocconi is an enjoyable journey, albeit stressful at times. Being surrounded by so many intelligent and ambitious individuals, everyday my life is challenging and exciting. Standing at the end of this program and looking back, I’m so glad that I made the right choice of choosing this MBA. The journey and adventure continues!

I was born and raised in Spain. After spending my last 7 years working in investment banking in South America, I was looking for the optimal way to return to Europe and change sector. The MBA allows you to maintain a certain degree of seniority without needing experience in your subsequent industry.

I chose SDA Bocconi for multiple reasons, 1) because it is one of the best business schools in Europe, both in undergraduate and masters, 2) because it has a fast-track MBA program that allows you to be working in less than a year, 3) for the return on investment, perhaps one of the best in the world 4) and last but not least for the excellent geographical location of Milan and Italy.

It is a unique life experience that allows you to strengthen your academic side and at the same time create a network of friends with whom you share and will share part of your life. On a personal note, the MBA has been a breath of fresh air after some very intense years in finance. It has allowed me to disconnect from my “status quo” and appreciate and give value to other concepts and principles that I had forgotten.

Thanks to the MBA my life has taken a radical change. From South America I have returned to Spain, and from finance I have moved into tech, with changes in ways of working, schedules, culture, routine, etc.

It has been a well-rounded experience achieving all the objectives set from the beginning. I would divide my journey into three stages:

• Academic: the MBA gives you the tools to refresh your existing knowledge and gain new insights. Additionally, it allows you to specialize in what you like the most with professors who are renowned at a national and international level.
• Networking/Social: having a class of 100 students allows you to get to know all of them. After almost a year of classes and activities together, we become a “family” that will last for many years.
• Opportunities: the range of companies, conferences and opportunities offered by the university is vast , I don't remember a single week without  activities with top-level companies.

My career goals flow from two fundamental beliefs, first, the marriage of business and welfare traditionally has few takers. However, if history is any guide, both are equally important for development of human race. And secondly, the world is changing at a blinding pace and at every turn and twist of the change, Darwin's principle of survival of the fittest, has been confirmed. Those that survive are those that adapt. Of all thing I have learnt during this MBA, the most useful skills I have inherited are collaboration, compassion, and agility to tackle the blinding pace of the disruptive changes of today. I'm not sure what is out there for us in near future but I'm very sure that in long-term, we all are set to make an impact in society and lead the change.

I would like to say thank you very much for the opportunity to study abroad at SDA Bocconi. I have had an amazing experience with a group of warm, talented and intelligent classmates and faculty members. This past three month have definitely inspired me and enriched my MBA experience.

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed my time at SDA Bocconi. The faculty, staff and students were extremely welcoming and made me feel at home immediately . I found the classes to be engaging in a different way than they are at my home school. It makes me think I should have considered SDA Bocconi when applying to business schools!

The program lasts 15 months, but its impact reaches far beyond that. Thanks to Bocconi, I was able to achieve my dream of working for a major multinational abroad, ultimately changing countries, industries and functions. The school offers excellent exposure to global companies and career paths and boasts a dedicated Career Services team.

The MBA at SDA Bocconi was fundamental in providing me with the tools, knowledge and networking opportunities, I needed to change country and industry.
The whole experience has enriched me both professionally and personally, allowing me to work with and learn from brilliant peers from all over the world.

The MBA at SDA Bocconi was incredible! There was a good balance between lecture & case-based method of teaching that has allowed me to get to know different industries and develop the skill set I need to pursue my career goals. Aside from academics, the structure of the program has helped me improve my leadership & teamwork skills and expand my international network. Furthermore, the rigor of the program and career services had prepared me well for my internship despite having no prior background in the industry; after my internship, the company offered me a place in their international Leadership Development program, which I gladly accepted!

The MBA is often described as a life changing program. This is certainly true!
I am proud to be part of the Bocconi community consisting of such a strong and powerful network.
SDA Bocconi’s curriculum and classmates from 32 different nationalities made this experience so unique. Additional career trainings and intense case cracking sessions challenged my way of thinking to solve complex problems.
This roller coaster journey led me to the decision of changing my previous career path from investment banking to the technology industry.
SDA Bocconi’s MBA is a good example where success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

The Full-Time MBA program at SDA Bocconi helped me radically change my industry and opened the way to a new role and experience thanks to the opportunity to join the leadership program at Cargill. No doubt, this investment of time, money, and all the 'extra miles' of an MBA was worth it!

SDA Bocconi gave me a great platform to make the famed triple jump - change geography, industry and function. With an all-round academic experience and professors who are always available to advice and share, you have all the tools you need to make the change. The experiences with my classmates, the alumni network and a global mindset are my biggest take-aways.

The MBA at SDA Bocconi has been a life-changing experience that has challenged my thinking, pushed my limits and transformed me personally and professionally.
There is a tremendous amount of professionalism in everything that happens both in and out of the classroom, with Career Service ready to support you in every step of this amazing journey.

My name is Eric Bowler, I am an alumnus of SDA Bocconi – MBA 2018. I chose to do an MBA because I was looking to make a career and geographical change and I believed than an MBA would equip me with the skills and experience necessary to attempt such a transition. I am an engineer by background and my prior experience was working in the durable consumer goods industry but after some years, I discovered my real passion is in energy and infrastructure. I believed that I could make a substantial contribution to society by helping to allocate capital to sustainable infrastructural projects and therefore I wanted to break into infrastructural finance. I am also American and married to an Italian and after a few years of living in the United States we decided that we would try living in Italy. SDA Bocconi was an easy selection. The school offers the top ranked MBA program in Italy and one of the highest ranked in Europe. The school is also particularly known globally for its strong background in economics and finance and the MBA Director at the time, Prof. Stefano Gatti, is a world-renowned expert in infrastructural finance. Through my studies, I was very impressed with the availability and attention that professors such as Prof. Gatti gave to students as well as the mentioning and support that I personally received. Furthermore, the brand recognition of SDA Bocconi in Italy is superb and I find the Alumni network (which after more than 43 years of operations, is quite extensive) to be very open and supportive. Today, I work for F2i SGR which is an Italian Investment Management firm that specializes in infrastructure investments in the Italian market, in fact it is the largest private investor in Italian infrastructure. Infrastructure brings enormous benefits to society; indeed it enables the modern life that we live. The companies that F2i SGR has invested in provide healthcare services, transportation for passengers and goods, energy, water and internet to millions of individuals. This value is tangible and, in this case, local – as both SDA Bocconi and the investments of F2i SGR serve Italy. I can say that looking back, I was rather naïve about such a radical transition in career and geography and it is in no way an embellishment to state that this transition would not have been possible without SDA Bocconi.

My name is Cindy Gallin and I am a 31 years old business professional. Originally from New York, USA, I was previously working in FinTech as a product consultant before deciding I didn’t see my career developing at the pace I wanted. I also felt like my knowledge base on the fundamentals of running a business was quite limited, and I wanted to fast track myself to general management. An MBA seemed like the obvious choice.

My criteria for an MBA were quite specific: an internationally diverse, small class where both my professors and my peers would be my teachers. I wanted a school that was sufficiently well connected with recruiters and ranked as a top 10 program so I would have the best chance of successfully making the “triple switch.” SDA Bocconi met all my criteria.

The program did not let me down. SDA Bocconi delivered on building a diverse group of 100 talented candidates, a quality education, and a strong network of companies from near and far. The experience changed my life in that it taught me the power of my own voice and ideas, and with a bit of coaching from colleagues and professors, I could tackle any business challenge put in front of me.

While the learning may have happened in the classroom, much of the growth came from what was experienced outside the core curriculum. One particularly enlightening moment was when approximately 40% of our class travelled to Barcelona for an intra-MBA sports competition. I was on the women’s soccer team, and despite a small squad and numerous injuries, we made it to the finals against schools 10x our size. Despite the setbacks, we had the talent, tactics, perseverance, and heart to push to the final. That moment taught me what it means to be committed, drive for excellence, and think of roadblocks as opportunities to find a better path. These are lessons that have been exceedingly helpful in my post MBA career.

Now I can proudly say that I have made the coveted triple switch, using SDA Bocconi as my pivot point. I am currently a Commercial Excellence Director at a global security firm, and I have also been a member of the Executive Committee for the past 18 months. I am based in Milan but I manage a global team and get to lead interdisciplinary projects I could have only dreamed of being a part of 5 years ago. I have a direct impact on the efficiency and profitability of the company. I have also been able to pay it forward to SDA Bocconi by offering employment to 4 MBAs in later intake classes.

I wouldn’t change a thing.

The international and dynamic class ensures that students expand their horizons by learning from each other.
I believe that it is absolutely crucial not only for personal development, but also for professional development in a world becoming more and more global.

Either you want to change your industry, have an international experience or increase your managerial skills, Bocconi is a great fit.
My MBA wasn’t just business and economics, it was a mix of experiences that shaped the way I see the world, the industry and my professional goals. Between daily classes, constant group projects, a multicultural group of classmates, business case competitions and the school-organized trips, you won’t stop! But you will for sure improve as a person and a professional.
“Life depends on how you approach it, and happiness on your capacity to adapt”.

The SDA Bocconi MBA program empowered me to develop a more strategic and business oriented approach through a unique international learning environment.

The program perfectly complemented my professional experience and positively changed my career aspirations as expected. Faculty and classmate interactions immensely influenced my professional mindset and development of leadership skills, necessary to pursue a global managerial role.

We had the opportunity to interact and learn firsthand from CEOs and leaders from different industries through the “Leadership Series,” a unique complement to our managerial education.

I thank everyone for an unforgettable experience, a true highlight in my academic and personal development. Now I am certain that I am better prepared for upcoming managerial challenges that will require a broadened professional background and a global mindset.

Doing the MBA at SDA Bocconi gave me opportunity to live in such an international city as Milano, where I enjoyed my passion for football and fully shared amazing experiences with new friends from different parts of the globe. Additionally, due to its location I was able to not only visit other Italian cities but also travel around Europe very easily.

Milano is the heart of Europe and such a vibrant city, through which you can reach the west and the east, experience the modern and the ancient, live the fast and the slow. It is a place where once you have been, you would always dream to come back.

SDA Bocconi gave me the unique opportunity to immerse myself in a melting pot of cultures, to learn another way of thinking about things, and to share my passion for Italy while following my dreams.

The MBA is built on two different challenges made for our growth: one is the academic and the other is the personal. In the latter, we learn on a full-time basis with a special group of 100 people from completely different parts of the world, walks of life and experiences. All this with the support of a great staff of prepared professors that are always willing to counsel, hear and advise.

This economic powerhouse in the heart of Europe is one of few cities able to intertwine history and vanguard, tradition and innovation.
It is a city of art and business, energy and inspiration.

The LBM Concentration afforded me unique opportunities, both in Italy and abroad, that will remain highlights of my SDA Bocconi MBA.
In Florence and Rome we got an inside look at some world-renowned luxury companies, from haute couture to private yachts.
I never would have had this experience if it weren’t for the school’s vast network within the luxury industry and its ideal location in the fashion epicenter of the world.

Pursuing my MBA in Italy has given me a rich cultural experience that has opened up a completely new dimension of my life.
Not only in business, but with everything else this country has to offer: history, art, food, and the people.
Being able to immerse myself into the Italian lifestyle has transformed the way I experience the world.

My reason for undertaking the MBA was to become a confident and competent member of a senior leadership team. I knew I had gaps in my technical knowledge that needed to be filled, and I felt SDA Bocconi to be a serious institution where I could learn. I am happy to say that the teaching was as good as I hoped. What I did no't anticipate was the value of learning alongside a fantastic group of people who are just as committed to their personal development, and who have become a vital part of deciding what to do next in my life.

My MBA taught me not to limit myself and rise above the financial aspect.
Before that, I had no clear career strategy, my MBA opened many doors.
I had many opportunities to choose from, many of which seemed impossible before.

When I chose to study at SDA Bocconi, I was excited: I knew that living in Italy would give me an international experience and a chance to meet people from all over the world. I was ready for a challenging life inside the classroom. What surprised me most, was the entrepreneurial drive I developed after joining the Entrepreneur Club. We launched “Imagine Bocconi,” a 3 day hackathon for disruptive innovation. It was an exceptionally rewarding experience and one that I’ll never forget. We were essentially running our own start-up.

The SDA Bocconi MBA has proven to be an excellent opportunity to enhance my career. The program equipped me with a wide range of skills and knowledge, both academically and personally. In addition, the internship period and concentration towards the end of the program allowed me to set the right direction for my future career path and ensure that I would take the next step in my career that was right for me. Looking back on my time in Milano now, the MBA was not only a great and enriching experience; it has also proven to be one of the best investments of my life.

As a proud alumni and part of Bocconi family, I will continuously be reaping the benefits and am thankful and honored to join such prestigious league of inspirational people around the globe.

I can only say thanks to the huge amount of people who taught me so much, not only academically, but also personally. From the friends of the MBA and other masters to the faculty and staff of the school. Launching Imagine Bocconi with such an extraordinary team was a unique opportunity to challenge myself. If you want to raise the bar, SDA Bocconi is the right place to be.

The MBA at SDA Bocconi was crucial for me to change country, industry, and function. It has given me a network that has already proven valuable, and that I expect to be more valuable in the future.
I’m very proud to be part of the Bocconi community.

The relatively small size of the class helps in creating an intensive and intimate learning environment where your peers, through study groups and interactions, become part of your extended family.

The MBA experience has been disruptive in my professional experience.
I have acquired the tools needed to complete my profile, and currently I am in the leadership program’s pipeline of one of the largest companies in the world.
I consider completing the MBA with success not the end, it is just the beginning.