Research, Rethink, Reimagine: SDA Bocconi between roots and horizons

Reflecting on over 50 years of shaping leaders and driving impact across business and society

At SDA Bocconi, progress always begins with reflection. The School’s strength lies in its ability to evolve and remain faithful to its founding values while continually redefining what management education means. Its community, made up of students, faculty, staff and alumni, is the driving force behind this evolution, turning shared knowledge and experience into a continuous exchange of ideas and growth.

As part of Bocconi Homecoming 2025, “Research, Rethink, Reimagine: SDA Bocconi Between Roots and Horizons” offered a vivid portrait of this identity: a School that sees education not as transmission but as transformation, where knowledge becomes responsibility, research becomes growth and innovation becomes connection.

Guided by Dean Stefano Caselli and moderated by Virginia Stagni, Chief Marketing Officer at The Adecco Group & Bocconi Alumna, the event unfolded as a living dialogue between past, present and future, a collective consideration of SDA Bocconi’s journey so far, its values and the new horizons that await.

In conversation with Alberto Grando, Professor of Operations & Supply Chain Management and former Dean (2006–2012), Caselli retraced the evolution of the School, from its pioneering role in bridging academia and business to its current position as a global hub for innovation, leadership and impact. Together, they reflected on how SDA Bocconi has continued to grow while remaining anchored to its original mission: a place where knowledge meets purpose, and where people become part of a lifelong community.

Joined by SDA Bocconi’s Associate Deans – Enzo Baglieri, Rossella Cappetta, Leonardo Caporarello, Paola Cillo, Emanuela Prandelli and Veronica Vecchi – the session then traced a narrative of continuity and transformation, showing how each area of knowledge of the School contributes to forming responsible leaders capable of navigating complexity and shaping change.

From the lifelong relation between the School and its students and alumni community, as described by Baglieri, Associate Dean for Master Division, to the focus on management as a social science of responsibility expressed by Cappetta, Associate Dean for Faculty & Learning, each panelist offered a clear perspective on how SDA Bocconi translates its values into action.

Caporarello, Associate Dean for Online Learning, highlighted the School’s digital mindset, one that uses technology to bridge people and cultures and expand opportunities for learning and improved communication. Cillo, Associate Dean for Research, spoke of research as a collective act of curiosity that drives growth. Prandelli, Associate Dean for Open Programs, described openness as part of SDA Bocconi’s DNA, building bridges within and beyond the School to connect education, research and real-world transformation, while Vecchi, Associate Dean for Impact, traced the power of partnership as the space where ideas become tangible benefits for society.

Together, their voices converged into a single message: at SDA Bocconi, leadership is not measured by performance alone, but by the ability to connect, to inspire and to shape change with purpose.

In closing, Dean Caselli offered a vision that looked ahead to a future not yet written, but already alive in the people who will lead it.

He envisioned the SDA Bocconi of 2035 as an institution built on people and ideas, whose strength lies in the ability to evolve without losing its essence. A School where the new generations take the lead and do even better; a community that becomes even more human and inclusive, where caring for one another is a true competitive advantage; and a place where sustainability is not just compliance, but consciousness and a way to create value for the common good.

He imagined the School as a place of policy making, where ideas, institutions and education intertwine to shape better organizations and a fairer society. “Education,” he reminded the audience, “is not just preparation for life. It’s life itself. Learning has no limits when institutions are solid and people take responsibility for keeping them strong.”

As his words filled the auditorium, the atmosphere captured what SDA Bocconi has always stood for: a place where reflection turns into action, and where roots and horizons belong to the same path forward.

“We may not know exactly what SDA Bocconi will look like in ten years, but I’m sure of one thing: coming back here will always feel like home.”

SDA Bocconi School of Management