Into Consulting at Full Speed

A COMPETITION FOR MSC STUDENTS WILL ALLOW THREE OF THEM TO HAVE A SHORT EXPERIENCE AT PORSCHE CONSULTING ITALY

Three Bocconi MSc students will become consultants for two days at Porsche Consulting, a subsidiary of the German automobile manufacturer that in 2014 celebrated its twentieth anniversary. On Wednesday, 21 October, the three winners of the competition will be introduced to the world of Porsche. Thursday, 22 October, they will work side by side with managers to deliver consulting services to a client. Friday, 23 October, they will attend meetings at the company’s headquarters in Milan.
 
In the early 90s, Porsche AG was facing a serious crisis. The process of reorganization was so successful that it led to the creation of a management consultancy company whose main business is now outside the automotive industry. Today, Porsche Consulting has 372 employees, a €90 million sales volume, six branches worldwide. The Milan headquarters is at the heart of the challenge that was launched to the students of Ferdinando Pennarola’s course Management Consulting. An exercise based on a case study led to the selection of three groups of 6 to 8 students each. Those who passed the selection are now engaged in an assessment at Porsche Consulting. Only three students will come out winners.
 
“The future of teaching lies in the connection of classroom activities with real work at companies”, Pennarola says. “It is a fruitful learning experience. It is one of the most successful educational models in the world, so to extend it to the whole Italian educational system would have a phenomenal impact”. The competition takes place at half term. It’s the climax of the semester and students can be absorbed by the experience without being distracted by exams.
 
The competition is a good way to learn about the students’ ideas and desires, says Josef Nierling, CEO at Porsche Consulting Italy. It’s a way to look for potential candidates to be introduced in the company. “The Management Consulting course is the ideal place where to tell about the Porsche Consulting unicity to the consultants of the future”. Which qualities are required to win the competition? Nierling gives an answer through a story: “Three masons are working on a building site. When someone asks them what they are doing, the first mason replies: ‘I am earning a living’. The second one says: ‘I’m the best stoneworker in the area’. The third one says: ‘I am building a cathedral’. That’s what we are looking for in potential managers, not the desire to be the best performer, but the ability to understand their contribution in generating value”.
 

by Claudio Todesco