Complex Scenarios and Rapid Decisions: the evolution of the Executive MBA and why to choose it

28 January 2026

We live in an era of “permacrisis.” Trade fragmentation, energy instability, and technological acceleration are no longer exceptional events—they are the new normal. In this context, individual managerial intuition is no longer enough: what is needed is method.

We discussed how managerial education is changing with Nicola Tomesani, exploring the value of an Executive MBA (such as the Evening Executive MBA at BBS) in providing a compass to navigate uncertainty.

 

Beyond financial risk: integrated management

Why does a manager today decide to return to the classroom? The answer lies in the growing complexity of the variables at play. According to Tomesani, today’s uncertainty stems from multiple sources, making managerial decision-making an exercise in balance among interdependencies and continuous trade-offs.

The BBS MBA responds with an integrated risk management approach. The focus is no longer on numbers alone, but on a 360-degree analysis of the business environment: not only financial risk, but also operational risk across value chains, regulatory risk, reputational risk, and cyber risk.

 

“It is the process that fails, not intelligence”

One of the most compelling moments of the interview concerns human error. In high-pressure scenarios, it is often not technical competence that is lacking, but the resilience of the decision-making process itself.
“In uncertain contexts, it is often the process that fails, not individual intelligence,” Tomesani emphasizes.

For this reason, the Executive MBA Evening at Bologna Business School works along two parallel tracks:

1. Management fundamentals: solid foundations that never go out of style..
2. Process skills: behavioral decision-making, team intelligence, and governance of new technologies.

Assessment also changes accordingly: not only the final result (output) is rewarded, but the quality of the decision-making process itself—evaluating the ability to define alternative scenarios and apply advanced models (such as minimax models).

 

Artificial Intelligence: from theory to use cases

Generative AI is the topic of the moment—but how can it be brought into companies without slogans? Tomesani describes a highly pragmatic approach. The program includes a cycle of nine seminars dedicated to showing how AI is technically applied across nine different industrial sectors.

The real challenge for the next 3–5 years will be this: “the ability to translate business problems into AI use cases.” There is no need to become a programmer—what matters is understanding where technology can solve a real business problem.

 

Flexibility and blended faculty: the BBS method 

For executives, time is the scarcest resource. How can upskilling be reconciled with a demanding work agenda? The Executive MBA Evening adopts a blended format (a mix of on-campus and distance learning) that allows maximum personalization based on individual constraints, ensuring commitment without sacrificing one’s career.
This model proves particularly effective because it combines educational rigor with full compatibility with busy professional schedules.

The added value in the classroom comes from the blended faculty: a teaching team composed of both academics and practitioners (managers and consultants). This founding choice of the School ensures scientific rigor alongside immediate real-world applicability.

 

Future challenges: talent and innovation 

Looking ahead to the near future, Tomesani identifies two absolute priorities that an MBA must help address:

• AI adoption: transforming technology into concrete business cases.
• People management: the “attraction and retention of young talent” has become a strategic critical issue.

 

Choosing an MBA today therefore means equipping oneself with the tools to face these challenges—not passively, but by governing them with awareness and competence.

Do you want to navigate uncertainty with solid managerial tools? The future is not predicted—it is designed. Discover how the Executive MBA Evening at Bologna Business School can transform your decision-making approach without interrupting your career.

 

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