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 Kristina Buckley
SDA Bocconi MBA 2007,
American
Kristina Buckely, born in the United States, grew up living and studying between Europe and Australia. She did a Bachelor in Human Sciences at the University College of London. In 2000, Kristina moved to New York, where she launched her career in the luxury goods industry, first working at Baccarat and then for Salvatore Ferragamo USA. She was holding the position of marketing manager before she left to pursue her MBA at SDA Bocconi.
Why did you choose to attend an MBA?
Having worked for 6 years in the luxury sector, in a marketing function, I felt the need to expand my business acumen. So far my contribution to the companies for which I worked had been mainly from the marketing perspective. With an MBA, I felt I could gain a better appreciation for different functions and industries, gaining a more diversified and strategic insight into the business world while taking a step back from my career to evaluate the direction of my professional path.
Also, as a woman, an MBA degree would be a strong complement my past experience and expand my options in the future.
Why did you choose the SDA Bocconi MBA?
For several reasons: the strong curriculum, the school's reputation, its highly international and diverse environment, for the opportunity to be exposed to another culture and to learn Italian.
The location certainly played a role, as my interest in the luxury goods sector makes Milan a very appealing and relevant place for me to spend one year. There were also personal reasons: after spending some years in the States, I wanted to be closer to my family, who lives in Geneva , Switzerland.
What are the most valuable aspects of the experience you're gaining in the MBA?
I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the tight-knit community comprising about 60 students of over 40 different nationalities. In fact, a lot of my learning experience has been achieved by learning from the many different perspectives of my classmates. Moreover, being in such a unique environment has forced me to challenge some of my previous ideas and opinions as well as expose to me to fields of study that I would have never have thought I'd be interested in pursuing further. For instance, I started the year intent on doing my concentration in Marketing but now I am excited to do it in Corporate Finance...
Has anything at Bocconi exceeded your expectations?
Probably the diversity of the MBA students and faculty in terms of background, nationality, culture etc. and how we have all shared the MBA experience; hard work but always peppered with the aperitivo to unwind and enjoy each other's company.
In terms of personal growth, how do you feel you have developed in these months?
I've certainly gained a higher degree of self-awareness and a renewed appreciation for the European way of doing things and living things. Also, being under such a rigorous program characterized by tight deadlines and huge workloads, I have learned to better prioritize my time and gain more trust in my capabilities.
In your opinion, what could be the most valuable aspects, for a US student, of an experience in Europe and in a European B-School?
To develop a true understanding of the different cultures both at the social and corporate level and how these levels interrelate to impact business practices. Also, Europe is becoming a bigger and more influential global economic power and player and it is fascinating to learn and feel this phenomena. On a personal level, I wanted an MBA experience that would not be only educational in the academic sense but also from a unique, 'once-in-a-lifetime' sense. Doing an MBA in Europe certainly satisfies this desire as it is so easy to travel from one country to another, each possessing such distinctive cultures and traditions.
I know you practise yoga; did you find time for it during your MBA?
Not as much as I would have liked, but I compensated it by skiing (and partaking in the Bocconi MBA Ski Cup) and by practising new sports, namely sailing. I'm just back from the SDA Bocconi Sailing Weekend at the Elba Island , where I had yet another memorable time!
You are vice-president of the Woman In Business group: what you've liked best in this activity?
I joined WIB because I felt what it stands for is an important issue for companies and business students to address, particularly in Italy , where the role of women and women networks in the workplace still needs to be better appreciated.
It was a great opportunity for me to be educated on the challenges for women in the European market place. Plus, it was a lot of fun collaborating with an Italian woman and a Ukranian/American woman in my class to build the WIB club.
Any plans for the future?
I'm now leaving for the US where I'm doing a summer project at Bottega Veneta (Gucci Group): I'm likely to work in the same segment for a few more years, perhaps moving back to Europe. My long term plan, however, is to set up my own company. But I'm growing very interested in private equity, so this could also be an option for the future... For sure, my experience at SDA Bocconi is opening a lot more doors that I would not have considered otherwise. For this, the return on my investment here is priceless.
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