Category: Events

From personalization to collaboration with PoliHub. The new MBA and EMBA programmes

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Specific orientation towards the managerial and entrepreneurial fields. Course organization as a function of the latest trends. These are the two main elements of innovation in the MBA and EMBA courses at Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management. «These are different paths of study able to guarantee expertise independently of the work environment, whether it be in a large company or entrepreneurial firm, indispensable in the current complexity of markets» explains Antonella Moretto, deputy director of the MBA and Executive MBA programmes. «As a result of our programmes, a manager will be able to make decisions with an entrepreneurial spirit and, vice versa, the entrepreneur will be able to take a managerial approach».

One diploma, six formats. The new MBA and MBA Executive MBA programmes of the School of Management at Politecnico di Milano are also characterized by a high degree of personalization. «The individual participant can pursue a path of study that includes up to 50% of “customized” activities drawing on a completely new “library”» continues Antonella Moretto. «The final part of the courses can be defined by opting for more “frontier” subjects, so less tied to the academic path, but you can also choose what lessons to follow in the classroom and what to follow via streaming, allowing to fully personalize your use. For example, the Executive MBA can be pursued over four different platforms: evening (Monday and Tuesday evening in the classroom), part-time (weekend), Flex (distance learning through the digital platform) ) and i-Flex (distance learning in the English language). The classes are the same, but they can be accessed in different ways. The last aspect of flexibility, which I believe we are the only ones in a position to offer, involves the time required for the discussion of a student’s project work, which can be shortened compared to the traditional two-year study path».

The new FLEXA platform

Innovation also isn’t lacking when it comes to digitalization. «First, we changed classroom tools so that all our lessons can be streamed. That way we offer the opportunity to also follow lessons online or to review lessons followed in the classroom. All this with a completely new platform, decidedly more user friendly than the previous version and with a completely new library of clips. Moreover – continues Antonella Moretto – all those who use FLEXA will have a digital mentor that will accompany them from the beginning and through the entire programme both in learning and in training, but also in the start of a career path, that is in contacts with startups and companies. We offer 360-degree digital support. From the first day with FLEXA an assessment is carried out for every participant and the digital, hard and soft skills that are identified are conveyed to our Career Development Officer who, through one-to-one meetings, helps participants to define their career strategy. In the meantime, we create a series of relevant support opportunities favouring contacts with businesses and startups». This is one of the key aspects of the MBA and Executive MBA programmes of the School of Management. «To this end – explains Antonella Moretto once again – we strengthened our relationship with PoliHub, Politecnico di Milano’s company and startup incubator, to allow us to enter into contact with startups when they are in the stage of incubation of entrepreneurial ideas or to develop project work with existing startups».

The relationship with PoliHub

«We decided immediately to collaborate to offer students entrepreneurial career opportunities but also to enrich the managerial skills of our startuppers who, when they have technical backgrounds, require support from those with managerial expertise» explains Claudia Pingue, general manager of PoliHub. «In fact, startups, in particular those in deep tech, often have an initial team that is inadequate to guarantee competitive growth on international markets and a time comes when the integration of managerial skills and the strengthening of leadership is required, with the eventual presence of a CEO. It was therefore decided to make available to MBA and EMBA students the Switch to Product programme, that annually supports and awards the best entrepreneurial projects presented within the Politecnico di Milano and selected by researched centres like CNR, for example. It’s an opportunity for students, who gain access an entrepreneurial acceleration platform and thus take part in a complex experiential mechanism that allows to measure their potential».

Politecnico di Milano, a virtuous ecosystem

This collaboration with PoliHub is planned from the first year of the programme. The objective is to create a panel of MBA and Executive MBA assistants to vet the candidacy of entrepreneurial initiatives, allowing programme participants to receive feedback and join an incubation programme. The Politecnico di Milano is the only academic institution with an incubator this strong, among the best in the world, so much so that 30% of participants decide to launch their own entrepreneurial activity after classes are concluded.
Finally, considering that all career support services are valid for six months after the diploma is received, the innovative scope of the Politecnico ecosystem must be highlighted. «Projects are carried out – concludes Antonella Moretto – also because there’s the contribution of the entire system that gravitates around the university: the Technology Transfer Office, the venture capital fund link, technical support for implementation of technologies and so on».
The entire programme is illustrated to potential users in a series of open days that include a road show at university laboratories. The next appointment is 23 May 2020 at the Bovisa Campus.

Why people are the best investment

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The secret of Italian excellence? People, without a doubt. It’s one of the teachings that students enrolled in the International Master in Marketing Management, Omnichannel and Consumer Analytics programme of the School of Management at the Politecnico di Milano “took home”. Five days, from 6 to 10 May, in which well-known Italian companies talked about their approach to the Italian Way, illustrating the characteristics that led to their brand’s success.

Studying and innovating

«We at Artemide have always been very supportive of collaborating with all those groups in which research and training are priorities, in the university setting but not only», explained Laura Salviati, marketing and communication manager of the company which is a leader in the lighting sector. «For over twenty years now we have worked with the Politecnico and other educational institutions. The spirit of Artemide is to support training accompanying it with research. We launched a campaign, GenerAction, that follows this double track. We support young talents that have distinguished themselves for their ideas: for example, using the laser to connect to Internet (Valerio Pagliarino) or coming up with a way to detect lead in water (Gitanjali Rao). Intuitions that are also far from our company, tied to light and its variants, but on which we want to focus on all the same. Because we care about innovation regardless of its application». And Piaggio also cares about innovation, as stresses the executive vice president for marketing and communication Davide Zanolini: «Piaggio is the ideal environment for those who want to address the new challenges offered by the present and the future. We work on hybrid, on sustainability, on artificial intelligence systems. We have even opened in Boston, in the United States, a plant entirely dedicated to robotics. We are strongly oriented towards continuous growth». A characteristic that is also encouraged among employees.

The team spirit is born at the university

However, the proactive approach must also involve studying. Indeed, it would be a mistake to passively face this period of learning. Dennis de Munck, head of employer branding in Ferrari, wanted to offer some very clear advice: «There’s nothing more precious than curiosity, a characteristic that shouldn’t be set aside when studying, but instead should be cultivated. It’s the best moment for learning, discussing not only with professors but also colleagues. A one-of-a-kind opportunity, that helps to improve oneself and the ability to work in a team». As de Munck explains, Ferrari believes that the education of people is fundamental. «Throughout the world we form selective partnerships with the best universities, in every field. It’s a two-way relationship: we bring our experience to students, but at the same time we listen to know the needs of the workers of today and tomorrow».
A similar approach is taken by Alessi, a historic Italian design brand, as explains CEO Marco Pozzo: «We want the people who work with us to be put in the best condition to maximize their skills. Our Omnichannel division, for example, was born thanks to the creation of a new team made up of human resources already present in the company and hailing from different fields like marketing, sales, information systems. Thanks to the union of their expertise, we can face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities offered by digital».

Training: a corporate mission

The value of companies, therefore, no longer consists solely of the product. It’s a consideration that applies to consumers, increasingly inclined to reward groups with a strong brand identity, but also for those who are considering a job: «Today more than ever, the sense of purpose conveyed by the company is important. What is the goal? What is the purpose? What are the values in play, and what can a company give its workers? Those who choose Ferrari», continues de Munck, «want to share their capabilities and increase their skills, in a perspective that is both top down and bottom down. In addition, training no longer takes place solely upon entering the company, but over one’s entire career. For us it is important that this applies to everyone, blue-collar and white-collar employees, labourers and managers. Our company professions school is open to everyone.».

The strength of ideas

Learning and knowing how to enhance your capabilities, therefore. The same message that came from Tancredi Alemagna, chief executive of T’a Milano, a Milanese confectionary company also active in the events, catering and banquet sectors: «Our country is facing an economically turbulent period. I and my brother started out in two, working from a room, entering a ruthless sector like food. Despite the difficulties, today we have 54 employees. We are a country with many brilliant minds. This makes the difference compared to competitors. With a strong and original vision, emerging is a possible challenge».

The three I’s of excellence: identity, ideas, innovation

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The ability to innovate without losing sight of tradition, combined with the highest expressions of design and industry. These are the crucial elements that characterise the excellence of Italian business in the world, as emerged in the Italian Way module, which took place in May and is part of the International Master in Marketing Management, Omnichannel and Consumer Analytics programme of Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management. Numerous companies took part, telling students about their own experiences, in a wide variety of fields, and surprisingly similar global challenges.

Growing without losing your identity

One of the common challenges that was illustrated during the Italian Way module is the necessity of growing, while not losing one’s identity.

«In Alessi (a well-known Piedmont-based producer of design objects) we undertook an internationalization strategy that aims at expansion in the US and Asian markets», explains chief executive Marco Pozzo. «We want to grow, but also during this process our priority is preserving our Italian DNA. Adapting to the needs expressed by the different geographical areas doesn’t mean distorting the brand, not at all. We want Alessi to preserve its own identity, embracing approaches to the table that are different like the Asian one, but also democratizing the approach to design products. In the United States, for example, there are several of our objects that are part of the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York. But we want design objects to become an integral part of everyone’s daily life».

The courage to risk

From the table to the street, the distance is shorter than you think. Indeed, in the MoMA in New York, we also find the Vespa.

«Our philosophy is clear: to maintain a strong   coherence with the past, but always focussing on innovation, both technological and design», says Davide Zanolini, executive vice president for marketing and communication at Piaggio. «What distinguishes us in the world is the courage to risk a bit more than others. We were the first to present a three-wheel scooters, the first to experiment with hybrid. In this we recognize our Italian character, as well as in a very strong engineering-technological vocation that is displayed to the public with elements of iconic design».

The team spirit  

Innovation, technology and design are also three of the characteristics on which Ferrari concentrates to consolidate its brand identity in the world. «We are proud to represent Italian excellence», explains Dennis de Munck, head of employer branding. «Above all, we want to focus on team spirit. Just as Ferrari is the racing team that all Italians and millions of people in the world root for, in the same way we want whoever works with us to feel they are part of a great team, whose goal is to respond to challenges with the strength of ideas and innovation. Excellence is what sets us apart, on and off the racetrack, and will continue to deliver it. For this reason, we are always on the lookout for top talent».

Welcoming diversity

Openness to the world and to diversity is therefore another characteristic on which Italian companies focus.

«To be international we try to open ourselves to different cultures», stresses Laura Salviati, training and communication manager at Artemide, a leading company in the lighting sector. «In the world, the approach to light varies greatly from one country to another. In industrial production, however, Italian excellence must be recognized. Abroad it’s much more difficult to find industries able to support us in productive processes. In Italy we have at our disposition know-how that succeeds in putting together craftmanship and industry. We’re not interested in producing at the lowest possible cost, but in quality».

 

Local taste, global excellence

If Artemide values territorial know-how, there are those who focus on other resources and a completely different type of raw materials, this time in the food sector. One such person is Tancredi Alemagna, founder and chief executive of T’a Milano:
«We take the best chocolate on the market and we combine it with almonds from Avola, lemons from Sorrento, Sicilian pistachios. We feature, when possible, the food specialties of our country, proposing a real Italian journey of taste. From the chocolate bar to packaging, everything must reflect our values: Italianness, quality and design».

 

 

 

 

MIP Politecnico di Milano’s Flex EMBA 7th in the world and among the top 4 in Europe in the Distance Online MBA category

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QS Distance Online MBA 2019 Rankings published today the School’s executive programme up by 13 places in one year

 

 

“Another great recognition confirming the excellence of the School of Management for its work in developing digital solutions that support education” (Andrea Sianesi and Federico Frattini).
The future is FLEXA, our continuous learning platform geared to artificial intelligence

A world top ten place in distance learning Executive MBAs for Flex EMBA at MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business. The only Italian programme listed has climbed 13 places in the global ranking and is now seventh in the world, according to the newly issued QS Distance/Online MBA 2019 Rankings, which measure performance for the best distance learning MBAs.

The Business School of Politecnico di Milano has always held an excellent position in rankings that consider – as QS does – the participants’ experience throughout the course and the quality of faculty. And in this ranking, our FLEX EMBA is placed first in the world for “Class Experience” and second for “Faculty and Teaching”

Flex EMBA is a blended teaching course that uses an ad hoc platform developed in partnership with Microsoft. In 2016, AMBA (Association of MBAs) placed it among the most innovative MBAs in the world. Since 2017, the course holds EOOCS certification from EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) the body certifying online programme quality, the first executive programme in Italy to receive this accreditation and one of the first in absolute terms.

“We are proud of this excellent result”, say Andrea Sianesi and Federico Frattini, MIP’s Dean and Director of MBA and Executive MBA Programmes, respectively. “Because of this and our growing numbers (with nearly 400 students taking the Italian or the International course since 2014), Flex EMBA is the School’s most successful programme of the past ten years. Our objective was achieved through our efforts to continuously improve the programme and to extend the international dimension of its curriculum. Once again, we see the validity of our online education being rewarded. From 2013, MIP Politecnico di Milano has invested heavily on applying digital technologies to education and providing programmes that offer superb usability and accessibility, while always ensuring high quality teaching and a personalised learning experience.

The many recognitions rewarding the value of our Flex EMBA only confirm the excellence of MIP in developing digital solutions to support education. Five years ago, we were the first in Italy to believe in a digital MBA for executives, so much so that two years later we added an international programme, i-Flex. Today, we have placed another piece in the jigsaw. From December 2018, MIP students can access FLEXA services on this innovative platform developed in partnership with Microsoft. The system uses artificial intelligence to offer an array of services such as skill assessment, personalised and continuous learning and a revolutionary e-tutor to help students fill in any gaps and achieve their professional targets”.

 

The entrepreneur born on the benches of the MIP: the history of TMI and Stefano Urbani

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For many of our students, the graduation ceremony is not just the launch pad for a new adventure. This was the case for Stefano Urbani, who laid the foundations for Medical Tourism Italy with the MIP Executive MBA. A project that has now become concrete.

As is appears from the name of your company, today you deal with medical tourism. How was the interest in this sector born?

It all started in 2012: at that time I was employed in the automotive sector and I was in Turkey for work. By chance, during that trip, I came into contact with a well-known ophthalmologist Azerbaijani, who introduced me to another aspect of Turkey, that of medical tourism.
Several patients from Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the area of the Commonwealth of Independent States, were choosing Turkey to treat diseases and undertake various types of health or cosmetic treatments.
In fact, when we talk about medical tourism, we refer to those people who go to foreign countries for improving their health or physical condition, for example, cosmetic surgery procedures, dentistry, cardiac surgery, oncology, transplants…

In Italy, this type of market was not yet developed – except for in an unstructured way. So, as I was interested above all in the social value that is the basis of medical tourism, or to offer to a patient the possibility of finding a solution to his problem not only in his country of origin but also abroad, I started to wonder if Italy too could be competitive in this market.

TMI is a project that has become reality thanks to the Executive MBA. How?

I am an Alumnus of Management Engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan and I chose the Executive MBA of MIP, the Business School dell’Ateneo, as a tool to deepen my idea.

In fact, since 2013, I started participating in B2B events and trade shows in Europe, Arab countries, Asia and the United States.
In this way I was able to increase my network and explore the ground with both foreign facilitators – who asked me for information about Italy as a possible destination – and with Italian hospitals – interested in understanding what medical tourism was.

It was during the EMBA that I laid the foundations for my project – TMI Incoming – which was also awarded as the best project work of my course at the time of graduation.
Moreover, this allowed me to meet some of the people who are now an active part of the project, then considerably enlarging the network leading to establishing contact with Dr. Cristian Ferraris of Assolombarda. Thanks to this contact, today TMI has produced the website “healthlombardy.eu”, with the objective of presenting in an institutional manner the Lombard health excellence in the global health tourism market. This work was for TMI the opportunity to develop a Minimum Viable Product – just like they taught me in the classroom! – For our current Italian virtual hospital project on which we are working thanks to the newly established capital of Medical Truism Italy Ltd (Turismo Medico Italia Srl ).

The search for the investor was a fundamental step for TMI. What were the challenges you faced and how did Cav. Lav. Nardo Filippetti influencing the development of the project?

I have to be honest, the search was not long. In fact, we came into contact with Cav. Filippetti shortly after the end of the journey with Innovits, an innovation laboratory in which we were accelerated at the conclusion of the EMBA and which allowed us to start the project on the benches of the MIP to be marketed.
This short research time, however, has allowed us to deal with some interesting challenges, above all the paradox that every startupper must face: the numbers!
In fact, investors often support an idea only when the business is considered “reasonable”, without considering, however, that an investment is necessary for the startup to reach that level, especially in sectors where the activities of Compliance & Legal, Cyber Security, Marketing and Communication have high costs.

Moreover, it was also an opportunity to understand who the right investor for TMI was. Therefore, when we contacted Cav. Filippetti in 2017, a visionary and successful entrepreneur in the hospitality sector who had been cultivating the idea of entering this market for years, he was ready to confidently communicate the vision, strategy and service of TMI.
In fact, respect for work and for people, creativity and intuition are the values that have characterized Cav. Filippetti during his entrepreneurial career and who are part of the project TMI.
Our investor, as well as President Lindbergh Hotels Srl (Ltd.), is also President of ASTOI Confindustria Viaggi and Vice President of Federturismo Confindustria. Those are prestigious institutional positions that give us the authority we needed, in addition to daily comparison that allows us to use his skills acquired over the years for the benefit of the project. Finally, I want to emphasize that his approach has been an industrial and non-financial investor, an extremely important element that allows us to think about the long term.

How do you feel as an entrepreneur? What are the things you have learned of the EMBA that guide you today?

My personal feelings changed following the establishment with Cav. Filippetti of Medical Truism Italy Ltd (Turismo Medico Italia Srl ) at the end of 2018.
If at the beginning I was moved by the enthusiasm and the desire to communicate my project to the world, today I am comforted by the trust the investor has given me, which has become a traveling companion in hard daily work.
However, sometimes, and as I believe it is natural, the right expectations of the investor can generate fear of not making it, but we must find the right balance without creating organizational stress.

For this I have elaborated the AI-KI-DO factor: thanks to the right balance between (Ai), Harmony, (Ki) Conjunction and (Do) Union, I try every day to guide TMI towards the achievement of the set objectives, eliminating the fear of failure , which I believe is human, with the gratitude of having had an opportunity!

The awareness of the present moment and the responsibility for my actions towards the project, and the people involved, myself included, allows me to manage the economic activity by assuming the so-called business risk with the right serenity.
All this is, evidently, built on the foundations of the EMBA, first of all those on organizational behavior, strategy, project management, decision making, marketing, communication and finance. These allowed me respectively to give structure to awareness, make long-term choices, manage individual development projects, make daily choices, sell, develop brand awareness, and finally take care of the ordinary administration.
Without forgetting the people who have characterized my journey, the professors I have met and the colleagues I have known.
Now our challenge will be to be able to industrialize the product, creating efficiency but keeping the quality and service levels extremely high, with a tailor-made approach for every single request. To do this, we are adopting a lean startup methodology with the aim of avoiding waste of resources, building a sustainable business and experimenting ideas with the creative process “Creation – Measurement – Learning” (Creazione – Misurazione – Apprendimento). This methodology is being taught during the master’s, too.

What advice would you give to those who want to launch a startup today?

To begin with I would recommend being honest with yourself, asking yourself questions so as not to get hurt later. Such as how innovative you are, if it’s the right time to launch it and if you have a good team. But also how to finance yourself and where to establish it.

Another tip is to talk about your idea to as many people as possible: it’s a good way to test the interest. Often, when I talk about medical tourism, I get several questions about it. This curiosity is a good sign.
Once received a positive feedback, it is good then to take the marguerite in hand and concentrate only on a few petals, focusing time and energy.

Launching a startup is an act of great responsibility towards others, towards those who believe in the project, so I can only encourage people to do what they love. Besides being a great sacrifice, which can only lead to success with passion and dedication.

At the end I advise you to bind yourself to the vision, not to the product or service.

The factors that influence a startup’s growth path are countless and sometimes not controllable; only by leaving the ego aside of the ownership of its own idea and putting the “own creature” in the conditions of going alone can one truly show that vision which is the flame that burns inside!

The leader put to the test with soft skills

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In the life of a company, a merger represents one of the most delicate phases. It’s the moment in which two entities with different cultures, histories and leadership styles join forces. It’s a process that must be carefully planned and managed, with the aim of creating a new, shared corporate culture. Only in this way can an integration be truly considered successful. Sergio Gonella, Culture and People Development & Recruiting Director at Wind Tre, a company created at the end of 2016 from the biggest European merger in Telecommunications to date, that between Wind Telecommunication and H3G, followed this process first-hand and talked about it with the students of the Executive MBA programme of Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management as part of the series “A point of view on Leadership”: «We worked two years to best carry out this merger and, from the very beginning, it was clear that the biggest challenges we would face wouldn’t only be at a technological or business level. It was fundamental to concentrate on people. So we decided to involve them, through a wide range of initiatives in which soft skills played a preponderant role».

The three pillars of leadership

These initiatives included «listening activities like engagement surveys, involvement activities through communities, initiatives dedicated to welfare, to development, to learning and to performance management». A strategy that immediately earned Wind Tre the Top Employer certification and that took inspiration from a new leadership model, also in this case defined by the people chosen to lead the new company. «Thanks to interviews and focus groups that involved managers», explains Gonella, «we identified the three pillars that make up the leadership model of Wind Tre: self, people and business».
As far as the context regarding self, «the leader must demonstrate qualities of stability, entrepreneurship and exemplarity». Internal characteristics which, however, must then be translated to the outside, that is brought to the team. «Our leaders must motivate their employees and give them confidence, allow them to express themselves freely and in a constructive manner and stimulate the growth of a network of relations both within and outside the company», continues Gonella. All elements where the mastery of soft skills is central.
The constructive approach of leadership also reflects on the business: «On this front, our priorities are value creation, a strong customer orientation and an aptitude for exploration and continuous innovation».

Observe, learn, innovate

The centrality attributed to soft skills is consistent with transformations underway globally, which will profoundly change the hierarchy of required job skills. Gonella himself explains this, citing the Future of Jobs Report prepared by the World Economic Forum in 2018: «If we compare the most requested skills in 2018 with those that will be most needed in 2022, we can see not only the latter ones will be all soft skills, but that the ability to learn, creativity, and originality will take on a preponderant role». This is because we forecast that in 2022 the pace of innovation and changes in scenarios will be even more rapid than they are now. «The ability to learn, but also that of knowing how to learn, putting into practice set strategies, will become even more important than omnipresent problem-solving. The leader of the future must be able to analyse critical issues while also thinking of innovative solutions. And, to do so, he will need to draw on all his learning skills», concludes Gonella.

Quantitative finance. Relying on mathematics and statistics to manage complexity

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Once upon a time, there were bankers. There were, and there still are, but in the last twenty years, their work has become more complex. The exponential increase in derivatives (complex financial instruments) starting from 2000 and up to the 2008 financial crisis, joined with a new regulatory approach that led to a more open market, revolutionized the world of finance, giving life to a scenario for which the rules and the models, more than a decade later, still aren’t completely clear.

Data at the centre

It’s in this context that the tools of quantitative finance were imposed: «Risk management and fintech are the response we have developed to face the legacy of the crisis», explained Professor Emilio Barucci introducing the tenth edition of the executive programme in quantitative finance, of which he is director, which will get underway in November 2019 at the School of Management at Politecnico di Milano.
According to Aldo Nassigh, vice president of Unicredit, «the crack of Lehman Brothers is comparable to the French Revolution. It put an end to a paradigm, but we haven’t yet entered the new one. Certainly, however, we can see a trend towards plain vanilla products (standard, simple and linear trades): portfolio volumes are growing, encompassing tens of thousands of derivatives that are individually simple, but put together generate enormous complexity». Nassigh then goes on to specify that the modus operandi of banks is very different from that of fintech companies, and it’s important not to confuse the two strategies: «Banks aren’t data driven, but their activity starts from models of portfolio enhancement, of risk evaluation, of pricing. Only later do they calibrate these models on the data».

Quantitative finance: professionals wanted

It’s clear, then, as Barucci says, that «the use of the quantitative tool, or rather mathematics and statistics applied to the financial sector, has become crucial». And this has translated into new work opportunities, that cover a wider range of positions than normally thought. As Barucci illustrates, the main areas are four: «portfolio management, evaluation of financial products, trading and risk management».
Although these areas are growing strongly, today we still see a lack of adequately trained personnel: «We need numerous quantitative professionals in the financial sector, but we have a hard time finding them», admits Luigi Terzi, head of market risk management at Banco BPM. «If the trader was once someone who tried to interpret market sentiment, today he can’t do without using algorithmic tools that mitigate the risk of certain transactions. But quantitative finance also is used at the sales desk, in financial engineering, in IT, in audit compliances: all areas where quantitative training is fundamental».

Consulting opportunities

Further confirmation of this trend comes from Gianni Pola, Senior portfolio manager at ANIMA Sgr: «The offices that handle discretional portfolio management, once “reserved” for economics graduates, today also hire people with a quantitative background».
The interest in professions of this sort doesn’t come only from banks, whether they be big or small, or groups dealing with asset management. «We are witnessing a gradual outsourcing of expertise on the part of large groups, a process that has greatly favoured the consulting market» explained Barucci. Antonio Castagna, managing partner of advisory firm Iason, is a direct witness of this: «Personally I’m convinced that the pricing model developed in recent years has become mature. The positions we are looking to fill today I would describe as “functional”, that is able to make what already exists work. But, to be able to do this, the quantitative substratum remains essential».

Financial Times Executive Education Rankings 2019

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Executive Education Courses for individuals and companies: Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management among the top 80 business schools in the world and one of the best in Europe with strong ties to a technical university.

The School of Management of Politecnico di Milano offers a wide range of programmes of the highest standard to its executive customers.

This is underlined, again this year, by the Executive Education Rankings for 2019 published today in the Financial Times, listing the School among the top 80 business schools in the world. The Schools is also ranked among the best schools in Europe that belong to a “technical” university, where this focus on engineering and technology brings together a propensity for innovation with management skills.

The Financial Times lists up two different rankings for executive programmes. One is for “customised” programmes, which address the specific needs of corporate customers and designed for their managers and high potential staff. Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management is appearing for the ninth consecutive year and has improved its position in a list that has been shortened by ten places.

The other is for “open” programmes for all managers and professionals wishing to select the training for their professional and personal development independently within the courses offered at MIP’s Management Academy. SoM first entered the ranking two years ago, and now is placed among the “top ten” European technical universities.

Many parameters come into play to determine each position in the ranking (they include the role of companies in designing and evaluating the courses and the School’s international outlook) and they take into account the participants’ rating of the courses, alongside the assessment of the CEOs and HR Directors at the companies benefitting from the courses. This year, the School of Management, stood out in particular for its close partnership with other business schools.

In the words of Andrea Sianesi, Dean of MIP Politecnico di Milano and Alessandro Perego, Director of the Department of Management Engineering: “Our executive programmes are in line with the market expectations, in a climate eagerly anticipating new training methods that open minds to the sweeping opportunities offered through advances in technology and business models.  The market recognises that we have the competence and methodology, which are such distinctive features of Politecnico, to identify the latest trends and prepare managers to take on the process of digital transformation in their companies, redefining corporate processes and roles”.

They continued by saying: “By operating so closely with the corporate world and focusing on business and entrepreneurial topics, we have earned our stripes in the minds of companies and managers”. Another winning factor was venturing into digital learning. In the smart learning model, people can access courses and material at a distance, a great plus point for those with busy lives and difficulties linked to time management”.

Diversity as a business opportunity

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Respect for diversity as an important ethical issue, but also the inclusion of differences as a business lever. Cristina Rossi Lamastra, Professor of Business and Industrial Economics at the Politecnico di Milano Department of Management Engineering, has made diversity management one of her research subjects. Flanked by Mara Tanelli and Silvia Strada, professors with the Department of Electronics and Information at the Politecnico di Milano, and with the support of the linguist Cristina Mariotti, she is investigating the use of data analytic tools to reveal unconscious bias, gender stereotypes in corporate communications.

«Thanks to the Me Too movement, diversity management is an issue that has recently drawn the interest of the general public, but the theme has long been present in scientific literature, in business and academic contexts – the professor explains –. Recently we can say that there has also been an awareness of damages companies can incur from a lack of respect for diversity». The Me Too movement, born in the United States, has focused attention on a delicate issue on which our country, however, is lagging. «We are seeing different speeds in this movement – continues Rossi Lamastra –. The issue of male/female equality is deeply influenced by the culture and goes hand in hand with income, it’s accompanied by greater economic development and a more egalitarian culture based on the entry of women into the workforce».

In addition to gender, diversity management policies also involve other forms of diversity, an increasingly clear sign of our social changes. Or rather, we can say that gender equality isn’t related only to the man/woman relationship but can also touch on other dimensions. Think of LGBTs, for which inclusion policies have in turn become a subject, albeit more recently, of scientific literature. And then there’s the theme of the sum of diversity. Reporting the results of a recruiting test carried out in the United States, Cristina Rossi Lamastra highlights the penalization of women compared to men, but also coloured people compared to whites, leading to coloured women arriving last in rankings of inclusion.

«The problem of diversity management appears to be decidedly complex, as there is no scientific and universally accepted taxonomy for these policies – indicates the Politecnico professor –. But we can say that if you ignore a part of the population, in the case of women half, the relative slice of potential is neglected and the multiplicity of points of view is lost. You lose all the cognitive richness associated with diversity and some studies indicate that this can also lead to an economic loss. By now the scarce presence of women in company management is seen by everyone as a limit, but the problem of discrimination is more serious and urgent in those sectors in which we see it at all levels and not only in management, such as oil & gas, for example, where there’s a clear predominance of men».

But how can a company sensitive to this issue put into practice diversity management policies, which certainly can also benefit its public image? «First, the recruiting process can be improved, focusing on neutral communications and using blind auditions that don’t reveal the gender of candidates, especially in male dominated sectors – concludes Cristina Rossi Lamastra –. New technologies can be useful in this sense».

The issue also impacts Politecnico di Milano and its School of Management, which like most Italian universities, adheres to gender parity principles for university careers and the student population. The most acute problems are seen in areas like mathematics, science and technology, where the presence of women is far below that of men, and forums for discussion and debate have been created to develop mitigating actions.

Flexibility, technology, responsibility. Smart working is the future

Posted on | by Veronica Rafaniello | Leave a Comment on Flexibility, technology, responsibility. Smart working is the future

The word of the moment? Smart, without a doubt. In our pockets or handbags, we all have a smartphone, if we talk about the future, we have in mind the smart city and, when we it comes to the subject of work, there’s smart working.

The Politecnico di Milano already a decade ago, when people were starting to talk about “agile work” and “flexible work”, carried out a specific study on the issue, coming up with the definition of a model “labelled” smart working, which went beyond the concept of teleworking with which it often, mistakenly is used as a synonym. «“Agile work” was born with the aim of reconciling private and work life, in particular to ensure equal opportunity, while smart working involves organizational models and related changes dictated by new technologies – explains Mariano Corso, scientific head of the HR Innovation Practice Observatory and the Smart Working Observatory and professor of Leadership AND Innovation at the Politecnico di Milano –.Smart working is a model of work organization based on greater autonomy for the worker who, taking full advantage of the opportunities of technology, redefines the hours, places and in part the tools of his or her profession. It’s an articulated concept, which is based on critical thinking that restores autonomy to the worker in exchange for accountability on results, while telework involves constraints and is subject to controls on compliance».

Understood in its essence, smart working, overcoming for the first time the barrier between self-employment and subordinated employment, was inserted in the Jobs Act as a efficiency improvement measure for companies and not as a measure of reconciliation between work and private life, even though there is a clear advantage for the worker, for example in limiting travel.

But is it possible to implement smart working in all sectors? «Clearly it works best in the area of information work, clerical and computerized work, but manufacturing also now offers wide possibilities for the application of the principles of autonomy and responsibility – responds Mariano Corso –. In addition, according to the Politecnico’s Smart Working Observatory, about 60% of medium-large companies in Italy have introduced smart working initiatives, while the phenomenon appears quite limited among small companies due to a delay of a cultural-management nature.
Smart working requires a new leadership style with mature managers able to plan activities, monitor results and provide feedback. It should be introduced by working on organizational policies and on the correct reprogramming of available technology and the logic of physical spaces».

When you talk about smart working, what immediately comes to mind are countries that are more advanced than ours in the organization of work, like Scandinavian ones. Is that correct? «At an international level we see lots of concepts tied to that which we label as smart working, which however in many cases, especially in North Europe, originate more from the world of conciliation than in increasing competitiveness – responds Mariano Corso –In this sense, the United Kingdom and Netherlands have adopted a very strong and cogent legislation for companies. Then we have countries that traditionally have a high degree of flexibility in the labour force and make significant use of telework, like Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Czech Republic. Something more like smart working we find in Belgium, however also in this case we don’t find a regulatory framework like the Italian one, in which, with a revolutionary scope, we see many of the rigidities of subordinated employment overcome».

Smart working is good for the world of work, but not only. It is part of a fundamental and desirable transition process towards a policy of attention to the environment. One of the concepts at the basis of smart working, as is the case for the smart city, is the optimal use of resources and spaces. In addition to limiting travel with a consequent reduction in CO2 emissions, smart working can provide emergency responses, from the reduction of depopulation in some areas of the Trentino area to the reorganization of work in the city of Genoa following the collapse of the Morandi Bridge.