Let's Start Back From Purpose

ENGAGEMENT ON VALUES, CONTINUOUS EDUCATION, MENTORSHIPS AND INTERGENERATIONAL SOLIDARITY. SILVIA CANDIANI, CEO OF MICROSOFT ITALY AND PRESIDENT OF THE BOCCONI ALUMNI COMMUNITY, TALKS ABOUT HER VISION OF HOW TO MAKE A STRONG COMMUNITY EVEN STRONGER

It's all about purpose. The primary goal for those leading communities - as well as companies - is to succeed in inspiring people, making them aware of their common goal. Silvia Candiani, country general manager of Microsoft Italy, is strongly persuaded of this. Last October, she became president of the Bocconi Alumni Community. A 1993 Bocconi graduate in International Finance, she tells about her student years in Via Sarfatti.
 
What kind of student was Silvia Candiani?
An enthusiast. Bocconi allows you to explore many different experiences, both in terms of classes and variety of students, but, at the same time, you get to live them in an intimate atmosphere. I spent most of my time on campus and was a curious student: I graduated in finance, but in my course of study I also studied marketing and was an exchange student at Wharton (University of Pennsylvania), where I was in class with MBA students. In fact, I graduated in three years and a half and, according to Bocconi statistics, I was in the top 1% of my class. I was a bit nerdish, let's put it this way.
 
What did Bocconi give you?
An openness to the world. I came from a very traditional Milanese background, but at Bocconi I met people from all over the world. Bocconi has Italian roots but an international soul and this was very important for me. And I appreciated its very pragmatic approach, its being very close to the business world, with real-world case studies and the presence of companies on campus. If you are curious, you can really understand how the real world works.
 
Is there a course that you feel was particularly useful for the development of your professional career?
I loved the more quantitative courses and the scientific approach to economic problems. It is a method that then allowed me to tackle complex issues in my job in a structured and organized way. The scientific approach to the analysis of problems has served me a lot in my work.
 
McKinsey, Vodafone and then, since 2010, Microsoft. When did you choose to devote yourself to the world of innovation?
With McKinsey I got to know different companies and issues and understood what I liked. Then it all began with what was then still called Omnitel: a cellphone startup, an exciting entrepreneurial adventure in which everything had yet to be built (and which had enormous success). There, among other things, I realized that I like stimulating environments, those where every day you have to invent what comes next, where the future has to be built daily. Moreover, this type of companies are by definition meritocratic, because there is no guarantee of success if not their own ability. These are environments in which there is the possibility of putting oneself to the test and therefore developing one's career.
 
What challenge is it to lead the Italian branch of such a major corporation?
A great opportunity and a great responsibility. Today, digital is at the heart of the transformation of all sectors and all countries. Succeeding in our mission of giving companies the tools to fully express their business potential with digital technology is a great satisfaction. Increasing corporate resilience (as in this pandemic period) and accelerating corporate and country growth is a great business responsibility. What differentiates Microsoft from other companies is this mission to support and not compete with other companies. As a manager and leader, what I always ask myself is how to go faster: if we do 10, the society around us craves for 100 in terms of technology (and support). So, I look for mechanisms to be able to multiply our efforts, for example by forging alliances with Italian partners and creating an ecosystem for innovation through collaborations with universities, companies and startups.
 
Digital innovation has proved a key element in countering the effects of the pandemic on society. Where are we at with the digitization of the country?
Italy is historically behind the US and Europe; companies have always invested less in digital than the EU average. Only 20% of Italian SMEs have an e-commerce channel and this was a serious handicap during the pandemic. But there is growing awareness of the importance of digital and there is an acceleration underway. Most companies are mobilizing, and this can be an opportunity for recovery.
 
A few months ago, you were appointed president of the Bocconi Alumni Community: what kind of commitment is required to head a community of over 120,000 alumni all over the world?
It is my way of making a contribution to the development of the University. Alumni are a great asset for the entire Bocconi community: they can bring experience, support University projects, mentor young people, help with professional opportunities through their networks. And, conversely, the University provides alumni with the opportunity to keep up to date and develop networking. The ambition is also for the network of alumni to be a seed for change in society: working on values ​​of excellence and being a vector of change is our aspiration somehow.
 
What is the difference between leading the human capital of a company and leading a community of alumni?
An aspect they have in common is that today, even business organizations must be managed by inspiring people. First of all, we need to work on purpose, that is, thinking about our purpose, why we are part of a community and why, as an alumnus, it is important that I am part of it.
 
How do you develop a community when the sense of community is already strong?
By working on the value proposition of being members of the alumni community, such as the possibility of keeping up to date with economic and management trends, for example through the work of the groups of alumni organized by Topic, or by mentoring younger generations, a commitment that can satisfy both parties. And then by focusing even more on the internationalization aspect.
 
What role does digital play in community engagement?
In recent months, it has been essential, without it, all of last year's activities would not have been possible. The current situation has shown how much can be done through digital and how digital is now an essential model. The future is likely to be hybrid.
 
Give back, give forward and intergenerational solidarity. How do you see the scope of these initiatives?
Our goal is to scale the numbers. We would like to be able to give access to many more people for things like mentorships, which was a pilot initiative that digital can help scale up. The new community site also makes it much easier to participate in give-back activities.
 
What about the future of the community?
My desire is to put the strength of over 120,000 alumni around the world to the service of the University in increasingly effective ways.
 
 
 
SHORT BIO
Silvia Candiani graduated in 1993 with a Bocconi degree in International finance (and a dissertation with Paul de Sury on project financing) and got her MBA from INSEAD. She has been CEO of Microsoft Italy since 2017. Previously she headed Microsoft's Consumer and Channel division for Central and Eastern Europe and before that she held the positions of Director of Marketing & Operations and Director of the Consumer & Online Division in the Italian subsidiary she now heads. She was among the founderss of ValoreD, the first association of companies that promotes gender diversity and the talent of women for the growth of companies and the country. She is member of the general council of Confindustria Digitale, president of the group on Supply Chain Platforms for Italian SMEs, and member of the Amcham Council - American Chamber of Commerce in Italy.

by Andrea Celauro