Between Past and Future: make a promise ...

On Saturday 16th, September, I had the privilege, as the proud Dean of 瑞士洛桑国际管理发展学院 (IMD) - 商学院 , IMD Executive MBA to address the September 2023 Graduates, I shared thoughts that hold close to my heart.

In our uncertain world where the pace of change is relentless, it's not only our skills and business acumen that pave the way forward – it's our promises to the future. They shape and express dreams, they carry legacies, and more than anything they inspire action.

Here I am sharing it with you:

Dear Graduates,

“How can I begin anything new with all of yesterday in me?” ― Leonard Cohen

Today, we stand at the intersection between the experiences of the past (yes, your EMBA is about to become the past), and the promise of the future.? It may take you a few weeks to adjust to life without the constant panic of missing an assignment deadline after Tuesdays 11.55 pm or the urge to constantly refresh your inbox in anticipation of the next announcement on Thursdays at 4 pm. ?

And now, all you have left to endure is one last speech by me.

Before writing this speech, I looked at your pictures and remembered some stories… not stories of assignments or academic achievements, but of the moments we shared.

Before our learning journey together truly began, in the early months of my tenure as Dean, some of you took the initiative to discuss gender representation in our program over lunch. ?You even penned a letter to the IMD President advocating for change. Furthermore, you asked the Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces about the lack of female toilets (subtly implying the absence of women) and two breastfeeding mothers participated flawlessly in the crisis simulation at the army compound.

?You've always strived for excellence, never missing a chance to enrich not only your own lives but those of others: from earnestly representing Swiss entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley to being moved by the evident social disparities in San Francisco right in the backyard of our admired and sexy tech companies.

Our EMBA experience was not without challenges --like the unexpected shift from Peru to Colombia for our impact investment and social innovation Discovery Expedition and the unforeseen cancellation of our Startup Ecosystems Israeli expedition.?

Yet, you embraced these hurdles with grace, adaptability, and curiosity. In these moments, your bonds as a cohort grew stronger.

Our shared experiences have left a mark, amid both joy and sorrow --together you danced in India and Colombia and were deeply moved by the stories of female victims of violence from the armed conflict. I'm greatly inspired by the support you offered those women in their pursuit of justice, a testament to your collective heart and soul. They are extremely grateful for being seen, heard, and valued.

Your personal journeys have also deeply touched me. You have shared your family histories intertwined with our modules. ?I witnessed the resilience of those who have faced life-altering events, while meeting the relentless demands of this program. From welcoming new life (6 babies were born during this year), to being uprooted from your country due to violence, your tenacity and drive never diminished.

These stories speak volumes about the character of the September 2023 “Dare2Change” class. You are loving and fun, you speak your minds, and you question the status quo.

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Allow me to share a piece of my own history, to reflect on what it takes to courageously step into a new beginning.

This story begins with my grandfather, who fled a violent Odessa?in the 1910s, leaving his girlfriend behind with a promise—a promise to return once he was settled. Five years later, he fulfilled that promise, and together, they built a beautiful family in Argentina, a family of which I am a proud product.

In the 1940s, on the other side of the family, my grandmother, a brave and hopeful woman, made a promise to a little girl—a promise of a house filled with toys, a school teeming with new friends. With this promise, they left their home in Dubrovnik and embarked on a journey towards an unknown promised land.

Years later, when I married at the too young age of 21 and set off to the United States to pursue higher education, my father made the promise to support me, even from a distance. He bought me a small flat in Argentina as fall-back option, if anything went wrong.

And just a week ago, I had the privilege of helping my own twin daughters settle into their new lives at university. As we arranged pillows on their beds, framed precious memories, bought plants (that they did not want) and filled their fridge with comfort food, I made them a promise that transcends borders and time zones. I promised them that regardless of the paths they choose and the places they call home, they will always have a place where unconditional love and support reside.

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Yes, I think you got it, indeed, this speech is about promises.

And I promise that I am about to finish!

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The philosopher and historian Hannah Arendt noted that

“Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible.”

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I know that each of you made silent promises every day to manage the intense demands of the IMD EMBA. Promises to your families, employers, professors and yourselves, to meet each deadline, to strive for excellence, and to never lose sight of your goals.?

I want to leave you, in good IMD style, with three promises that I hope you will consider making, and three promises of my own to you.?

Firstly,?promise yourself that you will never stop learning. The ability to further expand the boundaries of your understanding is a privilege and a necessity. And I promise to support you in this lifelong learning journey.?

Secondly,?promise each other that you will stay connected. The bonds you've forged here are invaluable. By staying engaged as a community, you can tap into this reservoir of wisdom and offer each other guidance, and camaraderie. The community you've built truly embodies the essence of what it means to be “Dare2ChangeR”. I promise you that in our strong and engaged alumni community lies the true power of IMD.?

Lastly, promise to?continue speaking up and challenging the status quo.?Continue to work intentionally to create equal opportunities and lift barriers for others, using your skills and influence to foster inclusive businesses and a fairer society. I promise that I will be your partner to create lasting impact together.

In essence, these aren't just promises to yourselves, to each other, or to the world we live in. These are promises to the future — a future you will be shaping, one promise at a time.

Congratulations Graduates of September 2023 IMD Executive MBA !!!

Pablo Abasolo Mohannad Al Abbad Daniel Arruda, EMBA Marco Adriano Babini I Partner Claritys I IMD EMBA Amit Bhushan Gaetano Bonifacio, PhD, MBA Alexey Borichev Daniel B. Boris Cambon-Lalanne Amit Chitnis Samuel Coulin Raffaella Desiati Jerome Duquene Carolina Duran Anne Elka?m Zo? Falquet Simon F. Antonella Franco Grégory Goba Blé, EMBA Magda Greiche Lulu Guo Tsuyoshi Harada Jennifer Holmes, EMBA Kornel Kabele Rasmus Kirkeby Salling, MBA Marat Korovaev René Bayer Kruh?ffer Isabelle Kuksin Ahmed L. Julien Le Goff Dominique R. Leutwyler Martina Mantovan, PhD, EMBA Hassan Mehmood Daniel Mendes Andrei Morozov Miguelangel Nieves, MBA, PMP Wojciech Nowak, MA, EMBA (IMD) Frederieke Reiners Khari Russell, MBA Alexandros Salpingidis Alexandre Buono Schulz Dr. Oleg V. Semenov, PhD, EMBA Behnam Shayegan Baris Silahcioglu Anna Stańska Robert David Stevens, MD, MBA, FCCM Hugo ten Zijthoff Nataliya T. Ben Torben-Nielsen, PhD, MBA Olga Tovkes Yulia Voronina Monika Waidacher Takatoshi Thomas Watanabe, MBA Norene Wolff Chun-Ying Wu Tanja Eronen

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