At SDA Bocconi, Values that Matter: Diversity, Creativity and Finance brought together voices from business, academia and the creative world for a conversation on how values shape organizations, leadership and decision-making. Promoted by the Proud in Business Club at SDA Bocconi and Fondazione Sozzani, the event focused on a simple question: how do values generate real impact?

Following an introduction by Emily Fisher, MBA51 and board member of the Proud in Business Club, opening remarks by Clio Gressani, Professor of Business Ethics and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at SDA Bocconi, framed inclusion as a driver of innovation, responsibility and sustainable performance. Francisco Barbosa de Azevedo, MBA51 and President of Proud in Business Club, then set out the wider context of the evening, calling attention to the role leaders play in shaping environments where people can contribute fully and safely.

Sara Sozzani Maino, Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani, brought the discussion back to personal and institutional responsibility. Speaking from the perspective of the Foundation, she stressed the importance of creating spaces where people can be seen, heard and given the opportunity to express themselves. Her remarks revolved around a clear idea: values are what sustain people over time, and they should remain intact even when life requires compromise elsewhere.

The keynote by Carlos Renato Castaneda, Global Transfer Pricing and International Tax Manager at Chanel, added a professional dimension to the evening. In conversation with Mariana Aguirre Andrade, MBA51 and Board Member of Proud in Business Club, he reflected on a career shaped by movement across countries, cultures and industries. His account highlighted the role of discipline, adaptability and mentorship in professional development, as well as the value of experience gained in different contexts. What emerged was a view of finance shaped by technical rigor, perspective, awareness and the ability to build relationships within different environments.

The fireside chat deepened these themes. Castaneda spoke about the way international experience sharpens soft skills, broadens self-awareness and changes the way people work with others. He also reflected on the importance of staying focused over time, finding the right mentors and allowing professional ambition to develop without losing sight of one’s own path.

The roundtable, moderated by Azevedo, shifted the discussion toward concrete organizational practice. Luca Condosta, VP HR - Head of Leadership Learning Community & LGBTQ+ program at ABB, focused on implementation, arguing that diversity already exists within companies and that the real work lies in creating the conditions that allow it to function. Policies, leadership discipline and execution all matter, because culture becomes real only when it is translated into systems and daily behavior.

Caterina Micolano, President of Cooperativa Alice, offered the perspective of social enterprise, describing work with women in prison and in fragile situations. Her contribution centered on craftsmanship, dignity and professional identity. Quality of work, she explained, shifts attention toward competence, commitment and contribution: inclusion requires precision, transparency and structures that support long-term transformation.

Edoardo Di Luzio, CEO and Co-Founder of Underscore District, approached the question from the standpoint of fashion and entrepreneurship. He spoke about consistency under pressure and the risks that arise when organizations lose focus on their founding values. Coherence, he noted, must remain visible in products, decisions and supply chains, especially when markets become more difficult.

Sozzani Maino then returned to the discussion with a clear warning against performative approaches. Inclusion, in her view, cannot be reduced to a box-ticking exercise or treated as an obligation: it grows where there is genuine openness, listening and the willingness to let people express themselves fully. Condosta reinforced this from an organizational perspective, drawing a sharp distinction between presence and practice. Diversity in large organizations, he noted, is already there. Inclusion is what allows it to work. Without the right structures, policies and leadership discipline, potential remains inactive. His image was simple: like a coffee machine, everything may be in place, but without connection and activation, nothing happens. Micolano closed the discussion with a practical challenge for leaders: “Slow down. Listen to the perspective you would normally overlook. Bring it into decision-making.” Inclusion, she underlined, is built through repetition and daily practice.

The wrap-up by Luca Finotti, Ideator of the Initiative, Executive Master in Finance (EMF) alumnus, brought the evening to a more personal close. He reflected on the role of education as a space where direction takes shape, where moments of clarity can turn into decisions. His message was simple: recognize those moments, and act on them.

Closing the event, Enzo Baglieri, Associate Dean Master Division, SDA Bocconi, thanked the speakers and the Proud in Business Club and placed the discussion in a broader perspective, pointing to the School’s responsibility in shaping leaders who translate principles into action and sustain a culture where diversity, creativity and innovation are put into practice. “The conversation does not end here. It continues in the way people lead, decide and build.”

Across the evening, one message remained clear: values matter when they guide action. That is where impact begins.

SDA Bocconi School of Management