Connect with academics and practitioners to move beyond current practice, exchanging the knowledge and expertise that will keep Switzerland at the top of banking & finance.

USI Executive MBA is pleased to announce the participation to the 17th Annual Meeting of the Swiss Finance Institute.

Join us for the day in Zurich, Lake Side, on 10 November, from 13:30 to 17:30.

• Prof. Franklin Allen

Professor of Finance and Economics, Vice Dean of Research and Faculty, and Director of the Brevan Howard Centre at Imperial College London

• Ralph Hamers

UBS Group Chief Executive Officer

• Dr. Andréa M. Maechler

Member of the Governing Board of Swiss National Bank

• Prof. Jean-Charles Rochet

SFI Senior Chair, SFI Head of Research, University of Geneva

• Moderator: Carolin Roth

Business Journalist

17th Annual Meeting

USI has progressed and moved from the 301-350 range to the 201-250 range of 1799 universities reviewed in the new rankings of the world’s best universities. A step forward that also impacts the national rankings, which sees USI climb from eighth to seventh in Switzerland, tied with the University of Geneva. This progress, along with the number of matriculations for the 2022-23 academic year setting a new record, is a significant achievement that highlights the quality of the university.

“I am very pleased with this new result,” stresses USI Deputy Rector Lorenzo Cantoni, “which shows the commitment of everyone – faculty, students, administrative staff – to the USI’s development and excellence in teaching, research and service to the region. The ranking also marks that, in just 26 years, USI has shown that it fully belongs to the Swiss university system, which is considered among the best in the world and is attractive and competitive globally… It is an achievement, I believe, of which the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland can be proud and which inspires us to do even better.” 

The Times Higher Education is one of the world’s most widely used and well-known academic rankings, along with the QS World University Rankings, in which USI is also featured. The rankings are compiled based on the analysis of numerous data. From these, indicators are developed, such as bibliometric data (citations and references in scientific publications), the impact of the research carried out by universities, the quality of teaching and international perspective. Results may vary among rankings because different indicators are used and weighted differently in the calculation of rankings.

More details on Times Higher Education Rankings 2023:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2023/world-ranking 

Overview of USI’s position in the different rankings: 
www.usi.ch/it/universita/chi-siamo/dati-e-cifre/ranking

Roberto, could you explain why you decided to take an Executive MBA program and what motivated you to study at the EMBA of Università della Svizzera italiana?

I have always been a great believer in training, most of all in continuous training. Training, determination and passion I believe are fundamental elements in any field.

I am an Executive Director, Private Banker, at Bank J. Safra Sarasin in Lugano and I have been active for over 25 years in the Swiss Banking sector; specifically in Private Banking. I have a degree as an Economist; a title obtained at the Applied Sciences University Lugano (SUPSI). Banking and Finance are sectors where demand is increasingly complex and sophisticated. I strongly believe that the only way to always ensure a high level of quality content is to constantly question oneself and never remain in that comfort zone in which we are used to living.

Why an EMBA at USI? I make no secret of the fact that I have also considered other solutions at two prestigious universities; one of which is in Milan and the other based in Zurich. Regardless of the costs and distances compared to Lugano, I felt that the quality content that USI in Lugano would give me was incomparable in terms of network due to the very high status of the international professors with whom I could interact.

Between 2020 and 2021, Università della Svizzera italiana undertook the independent procedure led by the Swiss Quality Assurance Agency (AAQ), which examines the quality system of Swiss higher education institutions, on a regular basis.  Your contribution helped the University to overcome the institutional accreditation. Could you share your experience?

I was asked to participate as an EMBA student representative in an interview by the Supervising Commission for Accreditation at USI.

It was undoubtedly a very interesting experience. I won’t hide the fact that initially I had no idea what a university institutional accreditation process meant. I had the opportunity to meet other representatives of the various faculties.

It was then necessary for me to read up on the self-evaluation reports, the professional accreditation guide and to familiarize myself with the complexity of the processes and the respective terminology used. My takeaway from this experience was highly positive. I got confirmation that USI is an important international hub with enormous potential to attract the entirety of Canton Ticino tremendously.

To what extent would you say the EMBA has made you grow personally?

It has contributed to my personal growth on three main levels. Firstly, I had to get used to navigating outside of my comfort zone. After this step, I was able to develop an out of the box approach in the sense of having to find solutions and to think quickly from a problem-solving perspective. Thirdly, the network: I had the privilege of getting to know a diverse range of colleagues and professors with very interesting profiles.

 With what tools did the USI Executive MBA provide you?

The raw materials of an EMBA are the depth of the teaching staff, the program itself, the infrastructure and the course participants.

Most of the lecturers have a high international profile. They come from important professional backgrounds, prestigious universities and academic institutions. The curriculum was largely an excellent level with innovative content and methods. The infrastructure and organisation have, in my view, confirmed my expectations.

How has the EMBA helped advance your banking career?

Refining managerial skills and through the in-depth study of notions of a more technical nature. Some subjects have already been addressed in the past in a more didactic form, but this time were adapted and tailored to the concreteness of professional needs.

On the management front, my career has benefitted thanks to the techniques learnt during the EMBA. By way of example I am thinking of those in-depth modules such as organization behavior, change management, leadership or negotiation. On other more technical contents, the modules on Finance, Innovation & Creativity, Accounting, Economics, HR or Quantitative Methods proved to be the most advantageous for me in my career.

How will your employer benefit from your participation in the Executive MBA?

Both in terms of managerial skills and in terms of added value to the service required. In general, having qualified and up-to-date personnel gives the company a competitive advantage, and that is before we regard the positive reputational aspects.

What is your advice to those interested in the EMBA?

Think out of the Box. If you are considering an EMBA then you have probably decided that you want to change something in your life. Don’t wait. You will always find a thousand reasons to put it off; don’t. Take the steps towards a change in your life.

Special Keynote Speaker: Kevin Nolan, CEO, GE Appliances

When: 14 October 6 PM, streaming on Zoom from Executive Center, USI

Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of GE Appliances, a Haier company, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky

GE Appliances, a Haier company.

Since 1907, GE Appliances has built innovative, quality products that are trusted in half of all U.S. homes. They sell appliances under the Monogram®, Café™, GE Profile™, GE®, Haier and Hotpoint brands. Their products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, small appliances, water filtration systems and water heaters (2021).

HISTORY OF INNOVATION OF GE APPLIANCES

GE Appliances transforms imagination into exceptional products.

In 2020, for instance, GE Appliances wins Smart Appliance Company of the Year for the second year in a row in IoT Breakthrough Awards Program, and introduces the Next Gen Kitchen Hub Micro at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
For more info, visit the website: https://geappliancesco.com/innovation-history/

Kevin Nolan

Kevin Nolan is the President & Chief Executive Officer of GE Appliances, a Haier company, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. GE Appliances is the fastest growing appliances company in the U.S.
Mr. Nolan is a seasoned engineer and a passionate maker with 29 patent awards and a 30-year career at GE, including 10 years as GE Appliances’ Chief Technology Officer.
He took innovation to a new level when he conceived and co-founded FirstBuild, the first Corporate maker’s space in the world and global co-creation community that harnesses the power of the maker movement to change the way home appliances are conceived, designed and manufactured.
Originally from Connecticut, Mr. Nolan is an active voice in Louisville, KY, working directly and through several organizations to attract new investements to the area; promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs in schools and community centers; mobilizing resources to close the digital and educational gap in the city and personally participating in several community development organizations, including Metro United Way.
Currently as CEO of GE Appliances, Mr. Nolan is successfully leading the company’s transformation, redefining structures, promoting a new culture and shaping the future of an organization founded more than 100 years ago.

To participate, email us: emba@usi.ch

Join us for the opportunity to attend one of our EMBA electives.

CREATIVITY & INNOVATION : 15 & 16 October 2022

“The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skills. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science.” Albert Einstein
Business leaders often use the terms creativity and innovation to suggest how to go beyond  conventional thinking yet few understand why and how they confer a competitive advantage in a globalized context. We will address the importance of these issues for senior managers by breaking it down into four parts namely, the fuzzy front end of creativity and the role of leaders in fostering  creativity within an organization, the roles of technology and innovation in industry evolution, the strategic aspects of innovation for commercialization, and the disruption of old business models to address underserved and emerging markets. The course is aimed at those senior level managers who foresee themselves using creative thinking in a creative setting (e.g., consulting, museums), who are looking to exploit innovation in mature industries (for e.g., Pharmaceuticals, FMCG) to create entirely new industries, or to create breakthrough innovations through new business models (e.g., e-publishing, Biotechnology) that blend economic profit maximization with social value creation.

Goals and objectives we aim to achieve in this course:

1. To provide students with an in depth knowledge of the topics of creativity and innovation, so as to learn how to strategically leverage creativity and innovation for a sustainable competitive advantage.
2. To understand, as future leaders of their firms, the role of leadership in fostering creativity and innovation within an organization and to help them initiate their own creativity and innovation plan that they can implement as future leaders.
3. To learn how new industries are created and evolve through breakthrough technological innovations and in the battle for standards.
4. To examine how business model innovations can be used for economic value creation as well as to address the big societal challenges of our world.

Professor Natasha Vijay Munshi, Phd, MBA

Natasha Vijay Munshi received her doctorate degree in strategy, environment and organization (SEO) in 2003 from University of Pittsburgh, USA. Dr. Munshi also has a Masters degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and an MBA degree in Management and International Business. She has taught at a number of institutions in USA, Europe, and China on courses ranging from capstone strategy, strategic management of technology and innovation, business ethics, and international business at the undergraduate, graduate (MBA, EMBA) and PhD levels. She has also consulted for non-profit organizations in strategic planning and new product development and worked in the biomedical sciences industry. Her publications in the areas of strategy, innovation, and corporate social responsibility include a guest editorship on the topic of social innovation in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Business among others articles in Organizational Dynamics, Journal of Business Strategies, Business and Society Review and Thinking Skills and Creativity.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: 19 & 20 November 2022

Why do so many projects fail? Why do so many others fail to produce lasting results? Why do so many projects suffer from cost and time overruns? How can firms identify and design high-leverage policies to improve project performance? In this course, we will cover three important aspects of project management:

• The theory, methods, and quantitative tools used to effectively plan, organize, and control projects;
• Techniques for managing projects more effectively revealed through practice and research; and
• Hands-on, practical project management knowledge from optimization and simulation exercises.

Goals and objectives we aim to achieve in this course:

3.000 CHF 1 elective
5.000 CHF 2 electives

Special Discount for USI Alumni

2.700 CHF 1 elective
4.5000 CHF electives

You will receive a final certificate of attendance.  Please note that every elective counts 4 ETCS.

To enroll, email us: emba@usi.ch

The renewed edition of the EMBA Weekend, organised by the Faculty of Economics of Università della Svizzera italiana and attended by 15 future leaders, started on 23 September.
The courses will focus on Sustainability and Digital Transformation. Internationality is the watchword that unites participants and faculty. 

The EMBA is a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) degree that grants 60 ECTS credits.
The USI EMBA Diploma/Title is nationally and internationally recognised and gives access to the USI Alumni Network (about 11,000 people) in addition to the dedicated EMBA Alumni Network (about 150).

The primary target audience consists of managers, directors, entrepreneurs, family businesses, startuppers from different sectors (public, private and services) and with a wide variety of backgrounds who share the need to acquire organisational skills and adopt innovative, up-to-date approaches to meet increasingly complex challenges and hyper-competitive markets.

The programme consists of 14 courses (11 core and 3 electives), taught by a faculty specialised in teaching executive classes, internationally known for its applied research who transfer their expertise to the EMBA classroom.

The entrepreneurship course (and related study&business tour) will take place on-site in California, the United States, specifically Napa and Silicon Valley, where the EMBA11 class will get in touch with the latest in agribusiness and technology.

Professor Gianluca Colombo, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Director of the EMBA, comments, “The EMBA is primarily aimed at future leaders who are at a turning point in their careers. They know that to move forward on their path, it is essential to invest in themselves, to learn new concepts and tools to apply to their work reality – like a key that opens the door to new horizons.“