Last quarantine memories
30 June 2020The multi-story tale of some participants of the Global MBA 2019/2020 who in recent weeks have concluded their journey in BBS, between ambitions, challenges, changes and many opportunities.
After the letter from the Scientific Director Marcello Russo on the occasion of the closing of the academic year with the Global Summit of last June 13, we conclude the section “Quarantine Memories” with the impressions of the protagonists of the coMBAt ready attended by students, Faculty and Industry Leaders.
“We have had the great chance to speak with some experts in the field, as a way of celebrating the end of our MBA – Federica Virno, participant of Global MBA in Food and Wine said – Among the guests I was strike by the words of the chef Massimo Bottura, who has shared with us the importance of keeping innovative when copying with times of difficulty. I really appreciated how Bottura has interpreted ‘Innovation’ in his speech and how he linked it to collaborative effort and sharing ideas”.
“It’s not usual to decide to change your life, risk and leave everything for doing a Global MBA. “This is the right year to do it, it’s now or never” I was thinking before arriving to Bologna – Anna Bernardin, participant of Global MBA in Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods added – At that time, I would never have imaged that in the middle of the course of my studies the whole world would have stopped and the global population would have been forced to lock down for months. Well, it’s even more unusual to complete your MBA in quarantine after infinite days sitting at home on your desk with your back that hurts and your eyes that burn. Days and nights, without any certainty for the future but still that was what kept me alive, gave me a routine and motivated me to go on. It has been possible thanks to the hard work of the Dean, the Director, the Staff and the Professors. The whole world stopped but we never did.
I still believe this was the right year for me to do an MBA because it has changed international perspectives, the way enterprises do business and leader’s mindset. Now more than ever, the world needs experts like us: globally minded individuals that, despite the difficulties, look to the future with optimism and have the courage to risk for pursuing their dreams. This has been confirmed from many leaders who took part from remote on June 13th to the Global MBA Summit and contributed to enrich our last day with their insightful speeches. Among them, I will remember the words of Luca Lisandroni, the new and young CEO of Brunello Cucinelli, that restored my faith in the future by telling that ‘we have to consider this crisis like a storm: it will pass by’.
Later, after been asked what are the qualities sought to be a potential employee of his organization, he stated: ‘It may sound weird, but we are not looking for any excellence. You need to be international, curious to learn and transparent. You need to be a good soul’.
I found further inspiration when Riccardo Rossini, Senior Partner at Egon Zehnder International, presented how to become your full self is the key to experience personal and professional growth through the ‘Big Four’ approach. I learned that leaders of the future are not anymore those who push their thinking and fight back for achieving them. New leaders are lovers and dreamers, beyond thinkers and warriors, that balance creativity and compassion for the others with courage and insights.
The summit closed with the extraordinary speech of Professor Romano Prodi, that is very attached to Bologna University and wanted to congratulate with us for the difficult path we overcome. I have been impressed in the extent to which he approached us with positive energy and modesty, moreover he instilled trust and optimism too by reassuring that there won’t be a second wave of the pandemic like everyone is expecting. I am grateful for having the chance to attend with success my Global MBA at BBS. It’s been a year of amazing personal and professional growth and I am confident that the future will reserve great opportunities. Thank you to all of you that made it possible”.
“To be creative and free ourselves to be inspired by new ideas and opportunities, as in the words of Massimo Bottura, we must ‘know everything and forget about everything. We look at the past not in a nostalgic way but in a critic way’” – the participant of Global MBA in Food and Wine Mananshaya Phupinyokul concluded.
A big good luck to all from the BBS staff.
