The Future According to Vittorio Colao

Vittorio Colao, Director at Unilever and Verizon and Special Advisor at General Atlantic, as well as past CEO of Vodafone, opened the A conversation with... cycle, reserved for a limited number of participants to encourage a direct dialogue between guest and public. The speaker accompanied the students on a journey through the great trends that, with their evolutions, will contribute in shaping the near future. "It was an honour to inaugurate this cycle with Colao, person who embodies the values of the ideal Bocconian," says Antonella Carù, Dean of the Bocconi Graduate School. "He is in fact also the 2003 Bocconi Alumnus of the Year as well as a member of the Bocconi University Board, and, last but not least, a donor who supports deserving students with scholarships."

"How do I think life will be in 5 or 10 years? Surely everything will depend on the evolution of 5 major factors," explained Colao to the students, inviting them to interrupt and share with him any doubts or thoughts, during and after his speech. The first factor is the evolution in the behavior and tastes of consumers, who today are increasingly oriented towards health, well-being, sustainability and good practices. Then there are technological innovations; the continuous increase in skills and competences of workers, who will gradually become more and more qualified; the depth of markets and, finally, the evolution of society and politics, "an important factor, but with a high rate of uncertainty," he said. Companies will have to face many dilemmas, between new business models and variety of skills to be integrated. What is certain, however, in his view, is the importance of human capital: "Now, and in future years, people will make the difference".