XVIII Alumni Reunion: reconnecting, understanding change, looking ahead
1 October 2026An evening to reconnect, a day to explore the future together. On 18 and 19 September 2026, the XVIII Alumni Reunion brought together Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Partners of Bologna Business School at its Multicampus, spanning Villa Guastavillani and the new buildings.
Two distinct yet complementary occasions, united by the pleasure of sharing places, conversations and experiences once again with a Community that continues to grow long after its members complete their studies.
The programme combined music and conviviality with reflections on change and discussions of technological transformation. At its heart was a question that concerns businesses and individuals alike: how can we navigate a rapidly changing future while retaining our ability to make choices and take action?
The pleasure of returning
The Reunion began on Friday evening at 7.19 pm with the Sunset Dinner Party. Aperitivo and dinner provided an opportunity to pick up conversations, reconnect with former Master’s classmates and meet other members of the Community. Returning to Campus also meant experiencing familiar learning spaces at a different pace, with time to enjoy one another’s company.
Music accompanied the evening from the Opening Sounds by Orea Malià, followed by a live performance from Nessuna Pretesa, the BBS Official Band. A DJ set by Andrea Pontremoli, CEO of Dallara Automobili, rounded off Friday’s programme, bringing to the decks one of the speakers who would also contribute to the following day’s discussions.
This convivial atmosphere is part of what makes the Reunion meaningful. Relationships formed during a Master’s programme find opportunities to grow through dinner, music and conversations with no agenda to follow. The evening celebrated the sense of belonging that allows Alumni to return to BBS, even years later, and meet new people with whom to share interests and perspectives.
The courage to navigate change
Saturday began with a Managerial Meditation by Massimo Recalcati, psychoanalyst, author and philosopher, on “The Poetics of Enterprise”.
To explore change, Recalcati drew on the image of a wave and the experience of swimmers and surfers: resisting its force risks being overwhelmed; learning to ride it takes courage and an understanding of its movement. This metaphor brought the discussion into the realm of decision-making, inviting participants to consider how to face changes that disrupt established balances, habits and reference points.
Within the Reunion, this image provided a lens through which to understand the day’s themes. Innovation also challenges organisational leaders on a personal level: it asks them to reconsider what they know, accept uncertainty and keep learning.
AI and the new geography of power
With his keynote, “Political Economy of AI: A New Geography of Power”, Ben Scott, CEO of Reset Tech, broadened the discussion to the economic and geopolitical implications of artificial intelligence. Who controls this technology, how it is deployed and who benefits were the central questions of his talk.
Scott examined the race for investment and international competition, focusing on Europe’s opportunities. In his view, the ability to influence the AI market also depends on building on Europe’s competitive advantages and developing applications in sectors where businesses have established expertise. Advanced manufacturing was one of the examples he highlighted, with opportunities in quality control, maintenance, logistics, design and energy efficiency.
Part of his talk explored the relationship between AI and learning. Scott distinguished between uses that enhance thinking and those that replace it: formulating a request, evaluating the outcome and exercising judgement remain skills that need to be cultivated. To illustrate the risk of delegation, he used the image of a robot lifting weights on behalf of someone at the gym: the exercise gets done, but the person does not get stronger.
His conclusion emphasised adaptability: being prepared means experimenting, recognising change and organising to seize opportunities as they emerge.
From technology to leadership decisions
The “AI Enhanced Manufacturing” panel, moderated by Barbara Carfagna, brought the discussion into the industrial sphere, covering artificial intelligence, quantum computers and innovation in computing. Alessandro Curioni, Simone Di Somma, Massimiliano Magrini, Sabrina Maniscalco, Marco Pistoia and Andrea Pontremoli contributed perspectives from research, entrepreneurship, investment and manufacturing.
The dialogue between Max Bergami, President of BBS, and Christiane Spitzmueller, Dean of BBS, then turned to the Community’s future.The programme continued in the afternoon with “Future ready | Human Leadership in the Age of AI”, organised by the BBS Alumni Association and Faculty.
Featuring Dario Ciampoli, Rosa Grimaldi, Andrea Lipparini and Victoria Tyurenok, and moderated by Ottaviano Salerno, the session focused on human leadership in the age of AI, connecting the discussion of technology with the skills and responsibilities of those who lead people and organisations.
From Friday’s music to Saturday’s reflections, the XVIII Alumni Reunion gave the Community time and opportunities to come together and learn again. Renewing relationships formed at BBS also meant opening them up to new conversations, bringing experiences gained since completing a Master’s programme back to Campus and returning to work with new questions about the future.
