Andrea Mennillo

A new opportunity for dialogue and inspiration at Gabelli School of Business

I am truly honored to have been asked to participate in the Centennial Virtual Speaker Series organized by Gabelli School of Business to celebrate hundred years of business education with its alumni, students, parents and community partners.

In these difficult and unusual months, which have obliged us to rethink our lives, from both a personal and professional point of view, Gabelli School of Business got involved by proposing a new format for dialogue and conversation and for adding to its sense of community. This series of events was a great and inspirational opportunity to give new insights to our students from a wider perspective, thanks to the participation of significant guests, about the current issues involving global business.

I had the pleasure to interview Mr. Charles Gorra, CEO and Founder of Rebag about “Entrepreneurship and the Future of the Online Luxury Retail Market”; Mr. Paolo Scaroni, Former CEO and GM of Eni Spa Oil and Gas and current Deputy Chairman of Rothschild & Co, who shared with us his views on the oil market in “DOWN and under: The Pandemic’s Impact on the World’s Oil Industry”; Mr. Domenico Siniscalco, former Italian Minister of Finance and current Managing Director and Vice Chairman at Morgan Stanley who showed us “A Case Study: European and Italian Financial Institutions During and After COVID”; Ms. Anne-Laure Kiechel about a very hot topic with “Sovereign Debt: A Looming Debt Crisis?”; and Ambassador Giampiero Massolo, President of Fincantieri S.p.A., President of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies who gave us “A Diplomat’s Perspective: Global Geopolitics After COVID-19”.

I personally want to thank all the outstanding speakers we hosted in the Centennial Virtual Speaker Series for the learning opportunities they gave us. It was a great occasion for us all to grow together.

I will never get tired of talking about the importance of a global perspective in the business world. Following Jesuit principles, Fordham University prepares the new leaders of tomorrow to study, to be open to social innovation and dialogue and to keep improving themselves and the world around us.

This is why I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue my commitment at Fordham University London Centre as Chairman of the London Centre Advisory Board. This is an additional opportunity for me to keep serving as an active member of the Fordham University community and to offer support by sharing my experiences as a corporate leader.

Finally, I want to note how important it is, in these tough times, to maintain a proper awareness of the past and long tradition in our western culture having roots in the Roman and Greek classical heritage. This is, in my view, an essential part of a culturally advanced education like the one offered by Fordham University and by the London Centre.

by Andrea Mennillo