Chiesi Academy: putting people at the center

An ad hoc training program with a specific aim: instilling in business leaders of today and tomorrow a sense of the value of people, of the professional development of their collaborators, and of effective communication among all members of the organization. Because in order for a company to grow and succeed, the key resource that will make that happen is people. This is the fundamental philosophy which, from the very beginning, has guided the activity of the Chiesi Academy. This high-level training program was developed by the Parma-based pharmaceutical company, in collaboration with the SDA Bocconi School of Management.

Chiesi managers, by taking part in the Academy’s programs, get the chance to gain a deeper understanding of the working mechanisms of the company and the sector. What’s more, they can view the big picture from a broader perspective, instead of seeing the business from the specialist angle of their specific sphere of activity.

The programs also incorporate group projects that tie in directly to the concrete challenges that Chiesi faces, offering practical applications for lessons learned in the classroom. And senior management play their role in training too, both serving as guest speakers and acting as tutors for the projects that participants tackle. The idea here is to foster strong mentoring relationships. Yet another added value is the interaction among colleagues from other countries, bringing to life an international network among corporate leaders. And all of this in keeping with the Chiesi philosophy, always ‘putting people at the center.’

Sixteen years of collaboration with the aim of continually upgrading the stock of in-house managerial competencies: since 2003, this is how the partnership between Chiesi and SDA Bocconi has evolved over time. The success of this collaboration is grounded in a set of shared values: a passion for knowledge, the centrality of people and their ongoing development, a keen entrepreneurial spirit, and pride in a shared Italian heritage combined with a distinctly global outlook. One major output of the collaboration between SDA Bocconi and Chiesi is the creation of a joint scientific committee serving as the launch pad for the Chiesi Academy. The takeoff point for the design for this initiative is a fine-grained analysis of the company’s strategies and needs. Over time, the Academy has enriched and diversified the training program, ultimately to include an ever-expanding and wide-ranging offering. The targets for the courses realized with SDA Bocconi run from expert veteran managers to talented young people.

And as Chiesi Academy activity continues, content is constantly being refreshed and renewed. Case in point: the Chiesi Corporate Master. Now in its sixth iteration, the special focus of this initiative is young managers with high potential. Participants, who come from all the different countries where Chiesi operates, already hold positions of responsibility within the company and have at least two years of experience. The aim is to further foster their professional growth, all the while staying solidly anchored in the company’s core strategies and values. Cultivating these talented young people is a way for Chiesi to ensure that the resources needed to implement renewal policies and change management are always available.

Study modules included in the sixth edition of the Chiesi Corporate Master are designed to provide participants with a complete and integrated perspective, following a comprehensive general management syllabus. Scheduled training sessions address everything from the business environment and follow-on business strategies to data analysis; from marketing and sales to accounting and corporate finance, from R&D to supply chain and HR management, and finally business planning.

Academy activity typically goes far beyond frontal lessons. In fact, in addition to the classroom modules which are held both at SDA Bocconi and in Parma, the program also includes distance tutoring. What’s more, the participants themselves come up with a group project which is later submitted to the company’s top management. This approach is a way to empower people and prioritize their growth and their ideas, perfecting aligning with the vision of Chiesi.