INTERVIEW
B usiness Schools understand the imperative to strike the balance between theoretical and practical approaches in contemporary learning paths – both for students and employers. A catalyst for this has been the emergence of models in which Business Schools are not only able to offer high- quality content to students, but also a set of additional services that provide students with a valuable 360° experience. During a session in May at the AMBA & BGA Global Conference 2021, Andrew Main Wilson, CEO of AMBA & BGA, spoke to Carlo Mazzi the Chairman of the world-renowned luxury Italian fashion house Prada, and Antonella Moretto, Associate Dean for Open Programs at MIP Graduate School of Business, Politecnico di Milano, to highlight the necessity of building joint activities between Schools and the corporate world, in which a clear mutual interest is pursued to achieve win-win goals for both parties. They discussed the long-standing partnership between Prada and MIP, specifically discussing how Prada is developing its sustainability values by working with MIP, and how it has worked with MIP’s students to understand a new type of consumer – while giving business students first-hand experience of the brand’s corporate communications and internal mechanisms The conversation served to highlight that numerous stakeholders may have their future needs met, and even be empowered, when common interests are
clearly stated and achieved. Here, we share some highlights from this exclusive interview. Andrew Main Wilson (AMW): Carlo, I’d like to start with you if I may. You’ve built a brand based on exceptional quality standards. Can you tell me what you’re looking for in a bright MBA, who you deem – in this 21st-century environment – good enough to join Prada? What are the skills you’re looking for? Carlo Mazzi (CM): The past decade and the future decade will always mean the difference for a corporation in terms of competitiveness to meet the market need. Reality is constantly changing, and everyone knows that the pace of change is accelerating. Today’s demand is changing constantly. For example, consumers often know competitors’ products better than the corporations know them, thanks to technology that enables free and unrestricted access to information. As a consequence, it is necessary to establish a more transparent relationship with clients. Likewise, in production and product development, true humility is required to watch the world outside the gates of our factories – or better: we need to break down old gates. But this is not enough. When it comes to choosing the new teams of managers and collaborators, we also have to look inside our company. Companies need to grow culturally on the inside. Companies have a lifecycle, and over a span of 20 years, it’s almost certain that we will
shift from one phase to the next. From startup to development, through growth to acquisition. The competencies needed to tackle the future are those required by the market, but also those by the evolution of our own companies. AMW: Antonella, if I could turn to you. There are many specialised MBAs, and my understanding is that you are sold out [in terms of student recruitment] for your luxury master’s and there is huge demand for it. Can you tell me how this relationship came about? Antonella Moretto (AM): This master’s is a tremendous example of a collaboration between a company and a university, and we started expanding this opportunity to MBA classes. We developed it because business education can no longer relate only to theory – it cannot just relate to content. If a student needs content, there are several high-level opportunities for them to [find it] and to learn. If you decide to attend an MBA, you will need experience and corporate connections to be ready to help you [address] the challenges managers will face. In this sense, the collaboration between university and industry is fundamental, because companies will bring the practical approach and the connections. They bring [insight into] competencies today and also an overview of the trends
they’re expecting for the future. Our students will be in charge of managing these competencies.
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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