Truly global, distinctly personal.
The Rotman-SDA Bocconi Global Executive MBA (Master in Business Administration) is a modular program that combines the expertise and perspectives of a leading European and a leading North American business school in a transformative journey hosted in international business hubs. A launching pad for future career phases and an integrated preparation for senior management roles, GEMBA provides a highly personalized focus on leadership development, and introduces participants to a global network of exceptional managers, faculty, executives and thought-leaders.
This unique 18-month program, spanning eight cities in four continents, will change the the way you think, network and do business in some of the world’s biggest markets and will give you a wider range of opportunities, contacts and experiences. The Rotman-SDA Bocconi GEMBA is offered in partnership with the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in Canada.
Who is it for?
The Rotman-SDA Bocconi GEMBA will expand your global understanding, and personal horizons as a future leader. GEMBA is the right program for you if:
My GEMBA in 60 seconds - Alfonso Lavorgna
My GEMBA in 60 Seconds - Salome Pirtakhiya
“At SDA Bocconi we take the GEMBA meaning seriously. It is a “global” executive MBA, designed to equip future leaders to manage global challenges: an indispensable prerequisite to prosper with your organization and reinforce your career development.”
"It is not easy to create truly sustainable value for a business — or for yourself. In this program, we teach you the former and help you achieve the latter, all with a truly global lens."
"GEMBA is not only an exceptional program, remarkable for its depth and the international exposure it offers participants, but it also provides a truly transformative experience. It seamlessly combines valuable knowledge with meaningful relationship-building, both professionally and personally. I would describe it as a life-changing journey. Being part of this and accompanying participants along the way is a privilege and an immensely rewarding experience".
Why did you choose to undertake the Rotman-SDA Bocconi GEMBA?
My reasons behind choosing Rotman-SDA Bocconi GEMBA were mainly driven by my desire to combine a groundbreaking and innovative learning experience with a solid global perspective provided by two of the top business schools in the world.
Over the past few years, I’ve been reflecting a lot about my career strategy and how my job and expertise will change and evolve in the future, coming to the conclusion that we are in a rapidly changing business environment like never before: to keep up the pace you must keep moving and learning.
The second reason is linked to the global nature and modular format of this program. I like to consider myself a citizen of the world and an addictive learner: having the opportunity to experience this journey with an international community is an accelerator of the experience itself. The diversity that comes from travelling, engaging with professionals from all over the world, understanding different cultures and ways of doing business pushes you out of your comfort zone while giving greater managerial confidence to approach complex settings. The modular format of the Rotman-SDA Bocconi GEMBA revealed to be the best solution for managing my work commitments and making the best use of my time.
Finally, I strongly believe that the joint expertise of the two leading business schools is the perfect match to meet my desire of broadening my mindset, refining my business skills and being able to spot and capitalize future challenges faster than I ever have.
How is this choice satisfying your needs?
So far, I couldn’t ask for more. The faculty is made up of outstanding professors and the classroom environment is extremely empowering. The Directors and program management team are highly committed to continuously supporting the class throughout every single step of this journey by offering stellar guidance that lets us really focus on learning. Every module so far has been a blended experience which balances interdisciplinary knowledge, new hands-on strategic tools for business, and a strong focus on leadership and team skills development. We could also boast the opportunity to experience memorable “learning safaris” by visiting leading companies around the world, that are intended to give us concrete insights and shape our understanding of the concepts covered in class.
Concerning networking, it’s impressive how the class was able to connect and make strong bonds since the beginning: sharing, forming trust and helping one another towards deliverables and goals is allowing us to develop new ways of thinking and, why not…even offering potential business opportunities, career advice, personal growth, or simply new knowledge. We all have diversified backgrounds and roles, we come from 26 different countries and from several industries with various seniorities and generations, but everyone is striving for excellence and we all share the same vision and passion for learning and business challenges. That’s key to getting the most from the program.
What are your expectations for the upcoming international modules?
Keep fostering my network inside and outside the program by leveraging all the hands-on opportunities, keep learning and I can’t wait to translate into action all the insights learned so far to positively influence my job and my life.
Your program in 3 words/adjectives.
I would say:
#NextGlobalLeaders which is the hashtag we voted on as a class to represent our team in this transformative path together. It fully represents our strong team spirit and our commitment to always keep looking ahead.
Challenge as this program is an intense lifetime experience, powerful enough to completely change our personal and professional lives from now on.
Energy since GEMBA is for people who are willing to go the extra mile, to go above and beyond the expectations and make a bigger effort to have a real impact.
For almost 15 years I have been acting as a marketer, project manager and sales person in different industries. I have always tried to become a better professional seeking new opportunities, learning on the job and attending a few short term courses (soft skills trainings, coaching, as well as a mentoring program).
As a next step, I realized that I need a program that would help me become a more structured, knowledgeable, and strategic thinker and fully aware of management skills and of the many aspects of my job. In my professional environment, SDA Bocconi was highly recommended. While researching, I appreciated the GEMBA program because of the curriculum and the strategic sessions with live examples from India, US, Singapore, as well as the international perspective. Furthermore, colleagues work in different countries and sectors and all the professors have real experiences in the international business environment.
Going back to study has been quite an experience, very exciting (leaving aside the time constraints). Today I am very much motivated to contribute to the program mainly driven by my class GEMBA who are inspired professionals with diverse experiences.
Everyone is curious and eager to learn, share and accumulate expertise, an environment that can only happen in school. The network is adding value to my experience as well.
I am impressed by the professors that run the program and their commitment. I appreciate that all of them have professional experiences in addition to their academic expertise. These experiences bring a lot of value to the class.
Last but not least Milan is the city of art and fashion, the time there is amazing.
The Rotman-SDA Bocconi GEMBA is a challenge to be taken on with a strong dedication. The Recruiting & Admissions team will be happy to arrange an individual informational interview at school to answer your questions and give you personalized advice. We can also do this when traveling to your part of the world, and by phone or remotely.
Moreover, every year the school presents the Master through a series of public events, both online and offline. This is an opportunity to speak directly with directors, faculty, alumni, and staff.
Contact us for more information, to arrange a meeting, request to visit the school, or attend a class.
To learn more about our partner Rotman School of Management, visit the page University Of Toronto’s Rotman School Of Management
