Riccardo Monti's International Outlook
A SDA Bocconi MBA, an international profile, and a long experience leading one of the world's most important consultancies: this is Riccardo Monti's basic résumé. Monti is president of The Boston Consulting Group Italia, and, since April 13, also of the Bocconi Alumni Association. Formerly BAA's vice-president, during Pietro Guindani's presidency, Monti is now overseeing the activities of an association that acts as point of reference for more than 90,000 Bocconi alumni all over the world, with 52 BAA Chapters active in major international cities, and 26 BAA Areas in Italy.
You earned your MBA in 1989. What memories do you have of being a Bocconi grad student?
It was a unique occasion that allowed me to enrich my professional background. I had the possibility of learning techniques and methodologies that were not yet in use at Milan Polytechnics back then. We worked on business cases, we worked in always different teams to be tested in various interpersonal situations. It was really a great training ground, for which, as a business professional, I feel I owe a lot.
Management skills aside, what's left of that experience?
It was a fantastic year. I met many colleagues with whom I'm still in contact and have relations. With some of them, the relationship took a professional turn. What I learned at the MBA, and the constant exchange with my peers inside and outside class, gave me a quantum leap in my profession.
Do you think being a Bocconi Alumnus today is different from then? If yes, in what way?
Being a Bocconi Alumnus hasn't changed. The values we all share in the Bocconi community are unchanged. What's changed is the geography, the provenance of the faculty and the student body in a constantly evolving University. We are confronted with a much more transnational environment, and, increasingly, English is the first language in Bocconi's classrooms and hallways. These are key developments, on which the University is rightly focusing.
What's at the top of your agenda as BAA president?
My mandate will be in continuity with the leadership and commitment of my predecessor, Pietro Guindani, especially in terms of networking, career service, and continuous learning. My objective is to move more decisively on the fundraising and internationalization fronts. Being international must be our mantra, while fundraising is essential not only for the life of the association, but also to nurture those talented young people, who, without our support, would be unable to enroll at our University.