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Bocconians Thinking the Unthinkable, with Elkann and Illy

, by Fabio Todesco, translated by Alex Foti
Mario Monti introduces and concludes the Continuous Learning Alumni Conference, a two-day occasion for networking with Bocconi academics and the executives of Nomura, Apple, Luxottica and other major corporations, organized by the Bocconi Alumni Association, Università Bocconi and SDA Bocconi School of Management

The Continuous Learning Alumni Association Conference (CLAC - Aula Magna, Università Bocconi, via Roentgen 1 – Milano, 18-19 June 2010) will be testament of the value of the Bocconi Alumni Association.

"We have a community of 80,000 alumni", says Bocconi Alumni president Pietro Guindani, "Our mission is to be a positive force in society, to mobilize the best energies of the people that were scientifically and professionally educated at Bocconi".

The title of the first Continuous Learning Alumni Association Conference is "Unthinkables", which are those disruptive changes and unanticipated phenomena which have occurred over the last two years, as well as future trends that the best organizations and the most inspired leaders can already foresee.

"The meeting," says Bocconi Rector Guido Tabellini, "wants to stimulate alumni to embark on a process of life-long learning which is indespensable to interpret and deal with a rapidly evolving and complex socioeconomic reality, by setting a straight heading toward innovation".

"The event is innovative also for the format, with workshops creatively conducted between one session and the the next, and for the outstanding level of the speakers," remarks SDA Bocconi Dean Alberto Grando. "Summing up, it's a great opportunity of discussion and exchange for all alumni".

It will be John Elkann, FIAT's president, and Mario Monti, Bocconi's president, wil be discussing strategy. Francesco Caio, vice-president of Nomura International, Andrea Guerra, CEO of Luxottica, and Tito Boeri, Bocconi professor, will discuss modern economic revolution. On consumer relations, alumni will interact with Nerio Alessandri, Technogym's president, Enzo Biagini, chief executive Apple Italia, Beatrice Trussardi, president and CEO the Trussardi group, and Bocconi's Enrico Valdani.

Emerging innovation hubs will be at the center of the discussion between Stefano Maruzzi, Google's country manager for Italy, Michael Ochan Kilama, scientific relations and publications manager Bayer Healthcare International, and Carlo Alberto Carnevale-Maffè of SDA Bocconi. Likely future scenarios will be discussed by Luciano Balbo, OltreVenture's president, Riccardo Illy, president of the Illy Group, Riccardo Luna, publishing director of Wired Italia, and Paola Dubini for Bocconi. Finally, the issue of leadership will be addressed by tra Giovanna Furlanetto, president of Furla, Donatella Treu, CEO of Il Sole-24 Ore and SDA Bocconi's Giuseppe Soda.

Monti will end the two-day event with a speech on the turning points of our age, followed by Grando and Guindani's concluding remarks.

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