Tag: #MIPexperience

The power of diversity: the MBA & multinational networking

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on The power of diversity: the MBA & multinational networking

“Networking is not just about connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas and people with opportunities.” (Michele Jennae)

When I enrolled for an MBA at MIP, I already knew that this kind of experience would be much more than classes, exams and company visits. One of the main achievements of an MBA is the network you can create during this period.

I get it, often networking isn’t at the top of everyone’s to-do list. It can be time-consuming, awkward on occasion, and, depending on your personality, incredibly draining.

It can appear that hard skills and knowledge are far more important than having a few words with colleagues or joining events. But that’s quite wrong. Sometimes you learn more by taking a coffee or sharing a slice of pizza with a person with a different background, than actually studying a book on finance accounting (which is still a super-important subject. Nothing against it, I swear!)

And that’s what’s happening during my first months of the MBA; I’m getting to know many interesting people, with different stories, backgrounds, ambitions and nationalities.

Yes, nationalities. I decided to join the International Part-Time MBA in order to benefit from an international environment.

Sundar Pichai, former CEO of Google, once said:

“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”

And I totally agree with this sentence. A multicultural environment (and networking in general) can bring many benefits:

1.     Strengthen business connections:

Networking is about sharing, not only taking. It is about forming trust and helping one another toward goals. Regularly engaging with your contacts and finding opportunities to assist them helps to strengthen the relationships. By doing this, you sow the seeds for reciprocal assistance when you need help to achieve your own goals.

Tell me, would you rather help: A) a colleague with whom you have shared a drink, or B), a colleague who don’t even say “hi” when you run into him? The logical answer would be A (otherwise maybe you should be reading articles on how to deal with problems in socialising?)

2.     Get fresh ideas:

Your network can be an excellent source of new ideas to help you in your role (both present and future). And what about a multicultural network? It can be an even better source of inspiration. Different cultures have different ways of approaching problems. Everyone is looking at situations through a different lens, a unique perspective. This can lead to a wide range of ideas that would benefit any team.

Is it easy? Absolutely not. At least, not at the beginning. During my first group assignment on the Erasmus programme, I was in a group with a Chinese, a Japanese, a German and an American (it sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it actually happened). It was a real mess… One person focused more on the content, someone else more on the form, others on the speech, etc. But mixing up all these different approaches brought us to a final result which was much better than the one we had in mind at the beginning.

3.        Develop long-lasting personal relationships:

Last but not least! The point of networking is not only to develop professional relationships, but also (and above all) to create strong and long-lasting friendships. I’ve always thought that the more you grow up, the more you’re able to find people you share your vision of life with. Your MBA networking contacts will usually be like-minded people with similar goals to your own, so it’s not unlikely that they’ll become great friends of yours.

These are only a few of the benefits you can get from an international environment. But they should be enough to push you try out an experience like an International MBA. You’ll need to discover all the other benefits for yourselves! ?

About the author
 Marco Di Salvio

Student of the International Part Time MBA at MIP Politecnico di Milano.
Industrial Engineer currently working @ Gucci as WW Supply & Demand Planner, based in Florence.
Tech passionate, Cinema-lover, Sports addicted.
Solving the world’s problems one spreadsheet at a time.

 

 

Favourite bootcamp: Design Thinking

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on Favourite bootcamp: Design Thinking

After the first few months of intensive classes, the bootcamp season has paved the way for a very different style of learning: week-long specializations dealing with the main and most relevant themes in the business world. Every candidate can choose from amongst courses such as Big Data, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Circular Economy, and Global Management, to plunge into a fully-immersive environment of seminars from scholars and professionals, hands-on labs and company presentations by managers in which to both learn and put the acquired knowledge into practice.

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, this year the experience for my class was for the most part conducted remotely online, but normally the Biomarketing bootcamp, for instance, offers the opportunity to visit the Politecnico Pheel lab, where students have the chance to learn how to conduct and execute some real research based on techniques such as eye tracking and ECG (electrocardiogram recording).

Fortunately, my favourite bootcamp was held at the end of January and I am very glad it was done in person because, given its very practical nature, it was a great opportunity to have a hands-on approach. I am speaking of Design Thinking, a topic that I didn’t know anything about before the MBA but that I immediately fell in love with for its immense versatility and because of a set of skills and insight it provides that can work in any kind of environment, both in and outside of the business world.

Design Thinking is a methodology that provides a hands-on approach to solving problems stemming from the understanding of human-based needs. Hybridized with creative brainstorming, design, ethnographic research, prototyping and usability testing, this approach has gained so much momentum in recent years that consulting companies as BCG, PWC, Deloitte and Capgemini have acquired Design Thinking divisions -for the most part working in the digital area – to produce oblique solutions to business problems.

For someone like myself, coming from the humanities and with a background in qualitative methods, crossing paths with a subject like Design Thinking proved extremely relevant and immediately familiar as a way to reengineer my research experience in academia to business-focused issues. The bootcamp was conducted with the supervision of the team of scholars working in the Design Thinking for Business observatory at the Politecnico, who organized a real experiential gym for our class, to put the methods learned into practice. Activities such as “diverging” and “converging” during brainstorming phases, prototyping objects like a new wallet that would suit our desk-mate’s desires prior to an in-depth interview with our user, and ethnographic research through a “retail safari” aimed at scrutinizing, discussing and improving the user experience of some of the city’s famous retail spaces, were just a few of the awesome experiences that punctuated a very unusual but memorable week.

One of the takeaways that I evaluate as standing out from this bootcamp is how transversal Design Thinking is. In the past few weeks, as the other bootcamps have been taking place, I have found myself using some of the tools of this methodology more than once, for instance to brainstorm an idea or to get out of a blind spot when working on a project in teams with my classmates. The wide array of applicability makes it without any doubt my favourite class in the MBA and a valuable resource that will for sure help me in both my professional and personal life down the line.

 

About the author
 Marianna Trimarchi
I am a candidate of the International Full Time MBA at MIP. I have a background in academia as a PhD in Communication and Strategic Analysis and a career as content producer in the Media Industry.I have worked for the Italian Television as author and assistant producer for cultural programs as well as for other media outlets as journalist. I am passionate about understanding complex phenomena particularly related to internationalization and global development from a multidisciplinary perspective.

 

 

 

Multicultural Spirit

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on Multicultural Spirit

According to a study from the HBR (Harvard Business Review), living abroad is one of the most impactful choices on a student’s career development, enhancing creativity, reducing multicultural and intergroup bias, and promoting success in their future search for a job. When I chose to enrol at MIP to study for an MBA, the promise of being in an international class of students was indeed my highest motivator. In the past six months, I have learned a great deal from my classmates. That’s why I want to leave the floor to them to talk about the multicultural spirit we have created together.

Ganapati, or GG, as we all call him, is a Financial Analyst from Pune, in India. GG, the choice of leaving your family must have been exciting but also challenging. Why did you choose Italy, and Milan specifically, for your MBA?

It’s true, moving to Milan for the MBA was a really exciting decision but also complex in terms of convincing my family, because of the financial commitment and, of course, also emotionally, since my wife is doing her master’s in India and we have a 2½-year-old baby to take care of.
I had previously been in Milan for a business trip and I fell in love with its architecture. I chose this city both for its strategic location and for the opportunities I wish to find here, with it being the fashion and financial capital of Italy. I had planned to live an international experience for a long time and an MBA in particular would be an upgrade to get ready for more challenging roles in my professional life. 

There are students like Lili, a Project manager from China, who had business and personal trips to Italy before the start of the program. Lili, during this year you have shared a lot about your country and culture. Tell us about the Chinese new year party we had!

The Chinese New Year party was amazing! Not only because of the traditional Chinese food we made from scratch and the things we did, but because we were all together for such a traditional and important event in my culture. The greatest and most meaningful thing for me, being away from home during that time, was to share it with people coming from different countries, cultures and backgrounds, and still wanting to celebrate together. I strongly believe that the multicultural environment we have built will have a big impact in shaping our future as people and professionals.

And talking about parties, Alejandro, a financial and operations strategist from Colombia has fully embraced the multicultural spirit of our Master, from the Milanese aperitivo to playing calcetto. Ale, how has this experience changed your life and what are the takeaways for you?

It has been key for me to understand that not everybody has the same energy and willingness to do some things. I’ve learned to be more respectful about people’s decisions and to be an active listener with regard to their needs. I have an easygoing and chilled personality, but not everyone feels comfortable in all environments, also because of the dimensions that model their culture. In order to interact with others it is important to understand that the other person also needs to be comfortable. This has been the basis for building more solid relationships and a healthy environment in particular when we were working in teams for some courses. It will be my takeaway whatever project I work on in the future. 

In my class there are also Italian students, like Federico, a lawyer who is passionate about social and economic issues. As an Italian candidate, how was it to dive deep into a multicultural experience for you and what made this journey special?

Being immersed in a multicultural environment was, for me ̶ and I can say for all the Italian students   ̶ a journey to explore the different cultural roots of every colleague. Sitting side by side with people coming from the other side of the world, it enabled me every day to gain a different perspective on the way we look at the world of business, on society and on approaches and attitudes to situations arising in our daily lives. Having the opportunity to wear glasses other than mine to observe our complex world was the true richness of this adventure! We are all children of the same tree: traditions and diversity are the essence of our journey together and allow us to discover humanity in its manifold nuances.

 

About the author
 Marianna Trimarchi
I am a candidate of the International Full Time MBA at MIP. I have a background in academia as a PhD in Communication and Strategic Analysis and a career as content producer in the Media Industry.I have worked for the Italian Television as author and assistant producer for cultural programs as well as for other media outlets as journalist. I am passionate about understanding complex phenomena particularly related to internationalization and global development from a multidisciplinary perspective.

 

 

 

BlackRock Hackathon: a green experience!

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on BlackRock Hackathon: a green experience!

Milano Digital Week (MDW) is a social initiative hosted every year by the City Council of Milan to inform the public about challenges and issues in the digital environment. Among keynotes, roundtables and workshops, the organizational committee launches initiatives aimed at engaging companies and citizens in shaping the future of digital. The BlackRock Hackathon is an example of such public involvement.

At the beginning of 2020, Larry Fink, BlackRock’s CEO, announced that environmental sustainability would be at the core of the company’s investment strategy. This was a bold decision made by a global leader in the industry. Following the news, the company decided to launch a challenge aligned with UN SDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal) #13: Climate action. The goal of BlackRock’s Hackathon was to create a tool, leveraging big data and analytics, to support investment professionals in taking environmentally informed decisions for their clients.

Hackathons are generally demanding, as participants are asked to develop a thorough, innovative solution in an incredibly short amount of time. Personally, I found this one even more challenging for two reasons.
I signed up to the event as an individual. I was reluctant, at first. Building something with people you have never met before in just 36 hours is not an easy task: you need to create a common ground of communication style and understand how to push your ideas, among other things. Then I remembered something I had learnt some years ago: if you wish to grow and achieve great things, you need to exit your comfort zone ̶ so that is what I did. Luckily, I got along quite well from the start with Mattia and Stefano, my teammates, and, since the team is the key, everything was downhill from then on. And, despite the struggles and the little sleep, we managed to have fun and achieve our goal: winning the hackathon.

Furthermore, the contest addressed a quite complex issue. Despite improved willingness from companies to disclose their environmental impact, the greatest obstacle remains data availability. Whichever solution you want to design, you need to take this into account. Another crucial element was the type of product to present. How are users going to benefit? Which channels to use?

Throughout the competition, teams were supported by BlackRock professionals: in our case, the mentoring was extremely useful. Mentors helped us reason better with regard to the choices we were making by questioning them constantly. In the end, when we prepared the pitch for the jury, Mattia, Stefano and I had motivated our choices so many times that we were confident about the idea, and it only took us a few minutes to find the right words to describe it.

After an initial, long brainstorming session, where ideas seemed to pop up from everywhere, we decided to focus our attention on something that could easily be implemented by an incumbent and whose usage could possibly be sold: an algorithm optimizing the environmental performance of investment portfolios. The name? (re)Balance!

Our starting point was the Paris agreement and its stated goal to contain any increase in global temperatures within 2°C by 2030. Upon that, we built a mechanism that allocates money by picking the most environmentally virtuous emitters and securities from among a predefined set of categories (best-in-class approach). Moreover, as a team, we wanted something visual that could communicate to investors how much they are contributing to the goal: something socially valuable; a thermometer, showing how much investors’ portfolios are helping limit global warming.

I am a student of the International Master in Fintech. One could say the competition was basically my bread and butter, as it addressed innovation in the financial industry. Looking at the specificity of the challenge, especially, one could equally add that mastering financial and technological concepts was pivotal to performing well. This is not completely true. First, because the environmental component was relevant. Second, because innovation does not result just from knowing things. You need to analyse, understand and take decisions in an unexplored environment. In other words, you need to exercise critical thinking ̶ and I believe that’s where the Master was a game-changer for me: it taught me to think about what I know and use it in unconventional ways.

 

About the author
 Lorenzo D’Auria 
I am 24 and grew up in Cagliari, Italy. I am a student of the International Master in Fintech at MIP and I hold a BSc in Economics and Management from the University of Trento. My professional interests revolve around the investment management industry and the impact new technologies have on it.

Becoming the leader of my career: a tough path to the goal

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on Becoming the leader of my career: a tough path to the goal
Closeup shot of two businesspeople shaking hands in an office

Three pillars of training at MIP are high-level courses, a strong community to rely on and the mandate to be the leaders of our careers.

As we want to lead the development of our working life, we need to train to recognise, build and exploit the opportunities to achieve our goals: MIP has structured its Career Development Center to train Part-time MBA candidates, the students’ community at large and alumni in planning and executing their strategy to succeed. The program proposed for this training foresees different tools and opportunities in order to develop career-leading skills.

FLEXA is the main tool available to improve skill-awareness: I introduced myself to my digital mentor, describing the functional area and the industry of interest and then, through a structured test, I was given a deep insight into my skills. The FLEXA platform gave me a score on hard, soft and digital skills, highlighting my weaknesses and suggesting articles, courses and other training to fill in the gaps: my path of continuous learning keeps on daily to reinforce my skills and provide endless training. Along with FLEXA, other platforms help us to be aware of the power of our resume (like VMock) or the state of job opportunities (like JobTeaser).

Career Workshops are two-hour webinars held by experienced consultants and headhunters: before taking those courses, I was acting more out of enthusiasm or a feeling of discomfort, but then I learned how to effectively define my professional goals in order to make them specific, achievable and timely. I felt like an alchemist: motivation was the fire to ignite the reaction, my skills, competences and passions the ingredients, opportunities and constraints the alembic through which to distil my goals. The workshop trainers also gave me hints and suggestions as to how to structure my career goals into a road map of intermediate targets, learning how to analyse and recognise the best fit between my goals and the needs of the market.

Finally, I can’t wait to have my one-to-one consultancy meeting: the Career Development Center experts will be available to understand my goals, discuss my plan and help me to evaluate any possible improvements. As I was starting from a very foggy condition, I’m forcing myself to do a great job on my own before this meeting, in order to be able to exploit the consultants’ experience in the best way possible.

This tough path to define my goals and the targets for achieving them will enable me to take advantage of the great networking opportunities offered by MIP. Meetings with HR and headhunters, orienteering sessions and networking with colleagues and alumni are the best testing ground for refining my plan and my storytelling and ̶ why not? ̶ to lay down the basis for future opportunities.

 

About the author
 Fabrizio Liponi

My name is Fabrizio and I work as a tunnel engineer in the construction of Underground Line 4 of Milan. Born, raised, studied, living and working in Milan: I love my city and I’m proud to take part in building its future. Travel addicted, I love to meet people and different cultures.

«Covid hasn’t stopped us: here’s why we enrolled at MIP»

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on «Covid hasn’t stopped us: here’s why we enrolled at MIP»

The current situation could have generated doubts about the wisdom of confirming one’s course enrolment. That didn’t happen: three students tell us why. Among their motivations, the effectiveness of digital learning, the solidity of social networking and the desire to study with colleagues from around the world.

The Covid-19 emergency caused a general global slowdown, but didn’t stop the education sector, which quickly converted to digital formats. And if on one hand MIP Politecnico di Milano didn’t interrupt its services, on the other its students haven’t stopped either, despite the situation underway they have confirmed the desire to follow the courses they enrolled in. Indeed, in some cases, forced work stops have even made the choice simpler. At the most, doubts could have involved the topicality of the contents: would they have stood up in the face of the changes brought on by the pandemic?

The importance of truly digital contents

A week of courses was enough to dispel this fear, as Micaela Long, enrolled in the Flex EMBA and based in Basel, tells us: «I had decided to follow this programme because of the solidity of its contents and the elasticity in delivery methods, which were well suited to my work and family routine. A few days were enough for me to understand that flexibility is also a characteristic of the contents: all the issues that we are addressing, we are also looking at by considering the current situation». After a week, the balance is positive, also as far as the impact of digital learning is concerned: «Working in a corporate role in a pharmaceutical multinational, I was already used to online interaction. However, I must say that the Flex EMBA positively surprised me: a lot of the contents are conceived from the start for digital use; they’re not trivial transpositions of classic face-to-face teachings, but are conceived to take advantage of the strengths of digital. The difference, compared to my previous e-learning experiences, is clear. Also because, despite the asynchronous learning mode, MIP has devised mechanisms that create a community, thus completing the educational experience: my colleagues and I constitute a class where there is a continuous exchange between us and the professors», stresses Long.

Social networking also works remotely

Vanessa Ottone, who works for Accenture and follows the course from New York, also saw the current situation as an opportunity to invest in her education: «The pandemic never influenced my decision. Although its economic and financial repercussions will see us facing major challenges, I’m convinced that in the long term, now more than ever, that leaders must show themselves to be resilient and well-rounded. A programme like the EMBA can support me in this direction and prepare me to take advantage of the opportunities that will emerge after the crisis». Like Long, Ottone also had an excellent impression of her first week of online courses: «I’m convinced that a programme like the Flex EMBA, that can count on the best digital instruments now available, can give life to a network of solid relations, generating valuable connections for all participants. After a week of lessons, I have the feeling that the time we spend together in working groups allows us to develop interesting interactions and to establish lasting connections».

The wealth of an international class

He hasn’t yet started his full time MBA programme, but from India civil engineer Pretyush Johari, has confirmed his participation: «Certainly, I had doubts on my enrolment, also in light of eventual logistical difficulties. However, several factors led me to not back out. Starting from the richness of the study programme, so well-structured and suited to my work and educational background. But the positive comments of some of my acquaintances, both with regards to MIP and to Italy, also had a strong influence. The prospect of joining a class made up of people of different nationalities, coming from around the world and able to contribute different and innovative points of view, is absolutely tempting, because I’m convinced that we can learn a lot from each other. Finally, I can’t wait to try my hand with project work, where I will be able to give shape to my ideas, also thanks to the skills that I will have fine-tuned during the master’s».

Insights from an international MBA – part 2

Posted on | by Simona Strepparola | Leave a Comment on Insights from an international MBA – part 2

An international format for an MBA program provides an additional experience that is not limited to learning new subjects or theoretical/practical concepts. Meeting people from all around the world creates a mixture of points of view which enriches the experience at MIP. Let’s hear it directly in the words of my friends and colleagues on the i-Flex program, Claudio Miguel Jamisse Buque from Mozambique and Heidemarie Haupt from Italy.

Why did you decide to pursue an international MBA program?

Claudio: I am an Electrical Engineer by training, and I have been working for almost 9 years in project development and implementation in sub-Saharan Africa. An international MBA program complements my current set of skills and experience. Through this course, I am able to gain a unique mix of skills needed to advance my career in management. I am able to understand the business aspects behind the projects that I work on, making me a valuable asset to the teams that I am part of. In addition, the international program places a lot of emphasis on and exposure to global challenges, which one would not experience through a non-international MBA. This is important for expanding the geographic range of my experience.
Finally, MIP’s i-Flex program has the added advantage of being online, which allows me to continue my professional activities and gives me enough freedom to balance my time between classes, family and work life. The program allows for interaction and networking between students from all parts of the globe, making this a good opportunity to turn my professional network into a global one.

What do you think are the main advantages of an international environment?

Claudio: In an international environment you develop an appreciation for diversity. Diversity comes in many forms ̶ culture, religion ̶ but most importantly, in the way of thinking. Through diverse teams in an international environment, I have experienced a broader and more open-minded approach to problem solving. During the interactions with my colleagues, I am developing an admiration for different ways of solving problems and a better understanding of the term collaboration. Being in an international environment it is also easier to relate to the impacts of global crises, not only in the society you live in but in the entire world.

How can this i-Flex program provide support in making an international contribution?

Claudio: The i-Flex program class is geographically diverse, with students residing in five different continents. The program is taught on an online platform that enables international collaboration. Contributions are encouraged and productive discussions between professors and students always occur across different countries, sometimes in different time zones. The topics for discussion are also international, meaning they usually touch on a range of countries. The platform supports this collaboration across countries in a modern and virtual way. This means the solutions we propose or discuss originate from a truly multinational contribution.

How might a multicultural environment impact your personal and professional life during classes?

Claudio: A multicultural environment is an important attribute for the international MBA. While discussing and solving cases, students develop the soft skills required to succeed in multicultural environments. In my professional life it will help me to adapt more easily to the challenges that a multicultural environment creates, and in my personal life it will help me to take advantage of the opportunities that arise in the context of multicultural networks. In both cases, I can see only positive outcomes to being exposed to a multicultural environment.

What do you expect this program will bring to your life after graduation?

Claudio: Primarily, I look forward to acquiring the hard and soft skills required for growing and succeeding as a manager. These skills will contribute to my professional prosperity, be it in my current position or future placements. Additionally, the friends made and strong relationships built with colleagues are of great value, both in my professional and personal life. I expect to maintain the international connections and to continue to develop close-knit friendships that will benefit my personal and professional life.

In case you missed the quite talk with Heidimarie and would like to know her experience, read her interview and find out her point of view on the international experience offered by i-Flex.

About the author
 Vito Conversano

Student of the International Flex Executive MBA at MIP Politecnico di Milano.
Chief Information Officer @ San Marzano Vini SpA with extensive international experience in IT & strategic consultancy for fortune 500 companies. Creative, Curious, Travel lover. Passionate about discovering new concepts, learning continuously and developing new ideas.

 

2020 Full Time MBA: the specialization in Luxury and Design Management

Posted on | by Simona Strepparola | Leave a Comment on 2020 Full Time MBA: the specialization in Luxury and Design Management

This MBA concentration at MIP aims to give students first-hand exposure to Italy’s luxury sector, with a study tour organized in important productive districts. The goal is to train professionals who are at ease working with the main trends underway.

Understanding the unique characteristics of the Made-in-Italy luxury sector, in order to be able to work in it by both innovating and preserving the tradition of historic brands: it’s the objective of the specialization in Luxury and Design Management, one of the four concentrations that since 2020 allow students in the Full Time MBA programme at MIP Politecnico di Milano to select an area of their choice to study in-depth. «Those who choose the luxury path will be able to discover the secrets of Italian companies, maybe still owned by the founding family, which however have been capable of becoming global leaders in the sector», explains Politecnico di Milano professor Alessandro Brun, Director of the Master in Global Luxury Management (MGLuxM) programme.

Luxury between strategy and operations

Specializations are paths that respond to specific needs of companies, which look for professionals trained in management, but also require more specific expertise. Luxury is one of these areas. «But luxury doesn’t only mean fashion», stresses Brun. «Instead, we mean everything that can be defined as high-end, in any sector. Sports cars, boating, jewellery, design, and furniture. And often foreign students are particularly interested in understanding the profound reasons for the global success of Made in Italy». The teaching methods of the Luxury and Design Management specialization have the same key characteristic of other concentrations: an eminently practical approach. «The first two weeks will have a more traditional start, even if bootcamp mode will already begin in this period, with projects assigned to students to carry out in close contact with company managers. In the first week, we’ll touch on strategic elements: what is luxury, who are the main players and how you compete in this sector, how you carry out a market analysis, how you establish positioning, up to the go-to-market strategy. In the second week, more operational issues are addressed: the sustainability of the supply chain, the different retail models, inventory management, the optimization of supply chain flows».

On the road to discover Made-in-Italy excellence

But it’s especially in the third week that all these elements are truly seen in action. «We have prepared what is a real study tour», says Brun, «a last week of bootcamp conceived and organized as a trip through the Italian productive landscape. We’ll set out from Milan by bus. The first stop will be in the Modena area, a territory with a great production of luxury autos; but there will also be an opportunity to visit a vinegar factory, since balsamic vinegar is also a product with luxury characteristics in the world of food. We’ll then move on to Tuscany, where there are equally interesting districts: leather goods and shoes come to mind. In these years, by the way, we have been working closely with Prada, Gucci, Ferragamo. We also couldn’t skip a few exclusive experiences tied to wine, all accompanied by managers who will talk to us about innovative ideas and business models».

The trends in luxury professions

The objective of this specialization is to contribute to moulding professionals that can take on not only the most traditional roles in the sector, but also those tied to rapidly developing trends. «Let’s think about the centrality of online sales channel in China. By now the use of the web to purchase luxury products is an accepted practice, but you need to be able to manage technological and customer journey elements to guarantee the customer the experience they are looking for», explains Brun. «Not less important is the issue of visibility and traceability: this includes communication, security, the fight against counterfeiting, and sustainability. Luxury companies must design global distribution chains that are a guarantee for purchases. A third issue then involves the challenge of innovation, to implement while maintaining ties to tradition: a luxury good must at the same time be perfectly modern and rich in history. Here you see the ability of those of who know how to manage innovation and design. And a single skill isn’t enough. Several ones are necessary, and you need to know how to integrate them», concludes Brun.

Insights from an international MBA – part 1

Posted on | by Simona Strepparola | Leave a Comment on Insights from an international MBA – part 1

An international format for an MBA program provides an additional experience that is not limited to learning new subjects or theoretical/practical concepts. Meeting people from all around the world creates a mixture of points of view which enriches the experience at MIP. Let’s hear it directly in the words of my friends and colleagues on the i-Flex program, Claudio Miguel Jamisse Buque from Mozambique and Heidemarie Haupt from Italy.

Why did you decide to pursue an international MBA program?

Heidemarie: I was at a phase in my life where I felt it was time to pursue a unique opportunity to launch a truly global career. I am persuaded that an effective leader should be curious about the world and eager to learn about other markets, management styles and cultural differences. I already had a solid experience in living and working at corporate level across cultures in companies where background diversity was considered as a pivotal value, so it came quite naturally to me to look for an international environment to engage in my EMBA. I carefully scouted a number of European business schools which offered such an opportunity and finally landed on MIP as the one most suited to me.

What do you think are the main advantages of an international environment?

Heidemarie: When I submitted my motivation letter to the school, my opening paragraph was entitled “with heart and mind wide open”. I think this is fairly self-explanatory with regard to what I expect from an international environment. In business especially, leaders must be able to assess global differences and adjust to the local business environment: gaining a wider knowledge of the diverse cultures becomes essential. We can call it elasticity to adjust, ability to think out of the box, readiness to see further, a willingness to prevent bias: to me, the mix of these attitudes is proving to be the real advantage to living, studying and working in an international environment.

How can this i-Flex program provide support in making an international contribution?

Heidemarie: When I was told about the i-Flex opportunity, I thought it was an excellent way to incorporate technology in advanced education. The most relevant advantage is surely the flexibility this format allows, which is even more relevant in an international context with colleagues connected from the four corners of the earth. But I especially like what seems to be the uniqueness of the program, which brings the School one step forward, well projected in the technological environment where we all are expected to work.

How might a multicultural environment impact your personal and professional life during classes?

Heidemarie: I believe a lot in cultural contamination. I can visualize it as a snowball effect, further amplified by the participants’ different backgrounds. Sharing different experiences, encouraging different mind-sets and approaches brings an enormous added valued to the program. MIP has managed to select a bunch of incredibly smart and talented people for this EMBA, and I do feel truly privileged to be part of this group.

What do you expect this program will bring to your life after graduation?

Heidemarie: The first word that comes to my mind is value. I am here to learn, both to learn new things and to learn how to do things that I already know differently. I expect to be able to use this added value properly in my career and in my personal life. The solid professional and personal network that I am building here is something that will stay and grow for the time being, enriching any other experience that comes afterwards.

Are you curious to know what Claudio thinks about it? Stay tuned for the second interview and find out more about the international experience of i-Flex.

About the author
 Vito Conversano

Student of the International Flex Executive MBA at MIP Politecnico di Milano.
Chief Information Officer @ San Marzano Vini SpA with extensive international experience in IT & strategic consultancy for fortune 500 companies. Creative, Curious, Travel lover. Passionate about discovering new concepts, learning continuously and developing new ideas.

Milan: living and leading a digital transformation

Posted on | by Simona Strepparola | Leave a Comment on Milan: living and leading a digital transformation

Save the date! From May 25th to 28th Milano Digital Week will promote more than 600 events to spread the digital culture: at its third edition, the main topic will be a focus on an Open and Sharing Experience.

The initiative is part of a wider program to push the city of Milan towards a digital transformation, both offering an appropriate digital infrastructure and fostering the awareness of the potentiality of digital skills among the citizens.

The involvement of the people is also encouraged through the Open Government project, which invites the citizenship to a new participative culture, for example, allowing consultations on city budgets.

Both companies and people are now able to exploit the opportunities of the OpenData project, that allows whoever is interested to download various datasets, for instance about events, medical information, scholars, air quality, or cars.

Milano Digital Week will also offer the opportunity to meet the ecosystem of startups that is growing across the city. The environment of incubators, places of innovation, and co-working spaces is the fertile ground where young professionals can cultivate their ideas and develop their projects.

Shared workplaces are available all over the city and boost the spread of the agile working culture: whoever wants to can rent a desk or a meeting room, wherever and whenever needed.

Alongside those, the city is also home to many different co-working spaces: regardless of the business, a freelancer can find a community to join, build relationships and share knowledge and equipment.

Why in Milan? Because here you can find business opportunities, a network of mature companies and venture capital, digital and transport infrastructure, and a mindset for hard work that has been the pride of the city for centuries.

A strong communication network supports the digital transformation of Milan in a smart city.
OpenWifi offers free internet access in many different public buildings across the city.

Public transportation reaches every corner of the city and with the app, any user can buy tickets and gather information on the service.

A widespread bike-sharing service, car sharing and scooter sharing integrate the opportunities for mobility.

Moreover, Milan is one of the most attractive destinations for innovators, startuppers and wannabe entrepreneurs. Thanks to its ecosystem of startup incubators and accelerators, Milan represents a great opportunity where you can breathe life into your ideas and enjoy an engaging environment for growing your business. An example for all is the renowned PoliHub – the Innovation District & Startup Incubator of Politecnico di Milano – which in 2018 was able to collect more than 1,200 business ideas.

In addition to the digital opportunities and high quality of courses, we, as students at the MIP School of Business, can also exploit the power of continuous learning through the FLEXA Platform and a wide community of alumni to improve our network and find new opportunities for our growth.

For everyone who is looking for an opportunity to grow: Join Milan, enjoy Milan!

About the author
 Fabrizio Liponi

My name is Fabrizio and I work as a tunnel engineer in the construction of Underground Line 4 of Milan. Born, raised, studied, living and working in Milan: I love my city and I’m proud to take part in building its future. Travel addicted, I love to meet people and different cultures.