Celebrating unity and enduring bonds: SDA Bocconi’s 2024 MBA Reunion

SDA Bocconi recently hosted the highly anticipated MBA Reunion 2024, an event that brought together several generations of alumnae and alumni from the MBA programs (Full-time MBA, Executive MBA, and Global Executive MBA), who came from every corner of the world to reminisce about their shared experiences and discuss future challenges. The Reunion offers participants the opportunity to reconnect with their MBA program and with fellow alumnae and alumni, rediscovering the intensity of the bonds formed during their academic journey. This year, the event saw the participation of classes starting from 1979, at five-year intervals: students at the time, now leaders in their professional fields, who took part in in-depth panels, visited the new School Campus – for those who have been away from "via Bocconi 8," now "via Sarfatti 10" – and enjoyed many, many reunions with friends and colleagues.

Enzo Baglieri, Associate Dean for Master Division, opened the Reunion by emphasizing the importance of an event for discussion and debate on future scenarios in the current geopolitical context and the widespread sense of urgency regarding the implications of climate change. Baglieri also proudly recalled the third place of SDA Bocconi's Full-Time MBA in the global ranking and second in Europe. "This result is the fruit of the commitment that all of us put into our work. All of us here feel this challenge and this drive for continuous improvement and for the growth of our Community," he stated, then leaving the stage to the Rector of Bocconi University, Francesco Billari, and the Dean of SDA Bocconi, Stefano Caselli, for the institutional greetings.

Dean Stefano Caselli celebrated the 50th anniversary of the MBA program, which will begin in September, highlighting the collective effort behind the School’s achievements and the ongoing pursuit of excellence. “We are very proud to have such brilliant alumnae and alumni. Achieving these extraordinary results is solely due to the energy, passion, and hard work of the students, participants, faculty, and staff of the School,” stated Caselli. He then outlined the strategic directions for the development of SDA Bocconi, which center on the values of growth, sustainability, innovation, and collaboration with all stakeholders. Dean Stefano Caselli then opened the in-depth workshops with a conversation with Andrea Pignataro, President and founder of ION Group, on the challenges of artificial intelligence.

Subsequently, Sylvie Goulard, Vice President of the Institute for European Policy Making at Bocconi University and Professor of Practice in Global Affairs and Geopolitics at SDA Bocconi, and Carlo Altomonte, Associate Professor of Economics and Associate Dean for Stakeholder Engagement Programs at our School, discussed the need to update traditional management paradigms to address contemporary challenges, such as economic and geopolitical changes, sustainability, and the exponential acceleration of technological progress. In their view, it is necessary to create a platform for systematic and dynamic discussion, available to researchers, alumni, students, and participants, where they can share their insights and reflections and converge on tools and actions. This is a mission that our School of Management can effectively fulfill through its master programs, whose curricula increasingly emphasize integration with the network, openness to external intellectual stimuli, and cultural exchanges.

The afternoon concluded with remarks from Riccardo Taranto, Managing Director of Bocconi University, who emphasized the University's commitment to sustainability through various key initiatives, such as the construction of eco-friendly buildings, the expansion of green spaces on campus, and the ambitious decarbonization plan. Taranto also highlighted the importance of strengthening ties with the local community through collaborative projects: “The success of our university is closely linked to the well-being of the surrounding community,” he stated. “Working closely with local authorities and organizations ensures that our projects have a positive impact on society.”

After Taranto's speech, participants were invited to join a campus tour and a final Dinner Party, where our alumni also contributed through their donations to scholarships for deserving students in the upcoming academic year.

The MBA Reunion 2024 was a great opportunity to celebrate the sense of belonging to the School and the transformative and all-encompassing experience that the MBA program has been. After years and miles apart, participants left the event with a renewed sense of connection and inspiration, eager to embody the values and spirit of the School.

SDA Bocconi School of Management

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