The alumnus who travelled the furthest came from Guayaquil, Ecuador, approximately 9,600 km from Rotterdam. Others came from Germany, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and Norway. The theme of community and engagement running through the schedule of sessions and workshops enabled alumni to explore ways to remain connected as a community, what it means to be a community, and how alumni, students, faculty members, staff and the wider RSM community can continue creating value for one another.
Valuable community
Welcoming everyone to the reunion, Dean of RSM Prof. Aukje Hassoldt emphasised the strength of the connections that bring the RSM community together and what makes an alumni community so valuable; by staying connected, sharing knowledge and experiences, and supporting each other, as well as mentoring the next generation. Opportunities to collaborate in the RSM community exist across industries, countries, and generations, she said, and they create something that is much bigger than the sum of its parts.
She explained that the ideas, experiences, and connections of alumni help RSM to understand how its programmes should evolve and help shape the impact of RSM.
The sessions and workshops were run by expert practitioners and academics, and illustrated the progress of business education. Sessions were:
- AI for Business: trends, opportunities, and challenges whichcovered key trends in AI and their implications for business, and was presented by Dr Anna Priante, Assistant Professor and Academic Director of RSM’s MSc Business Information Management.
- Leading through coaching introducing coaching skills that are now embedded in the current MBA curriculum, and offering a fresh perspective many alumni did not experience during their studies. Coaching helps raise passion and engagement at work, encourages ownership, builds new capabilities, and supports career growth. The session was led by Hetty Brand-Boswijk, RSM’s Director of Coaching and Lead Coach for Personal Leadership Development in the RSM MBA.
- Entrepreneurship through acquisition to grow existing businesses. With many business owners nearing retirement, opportunities for succession are abundant, and aspiring entrepreneurs can identify, acquire, and lead companies that already fit the market, thereby reducing the risks normally associated with start-ups, particularly when they are supported by experienced investors, board members, and academic networks. The session was led by RSM alumnus Matthijs Wilhelmus (EMBA 2020) and founder of PORAST Bedrijfsopvolging.
- IX Lab workshop about creating an immersive environment such as virtual and augmented reality, for bringing value to everyday work, presented by Marie Kegeleers, manager of the Immersive Experience Lab at the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
- How to ReAct was an improvisation workshop to improve leadership skills by focusing on body language and the subtle signals we give and receive in interactions with others – and often influencing how we are perceived, and why some people seem powerful, presented by Thom Roelofs, theatre educator, and improviser.
Make some space and reconnect
Alumna Purvi Jha (MBA 2016), a leader in industrial decarbonisation, was one of those at the reunion. She later posted on LinkedIn: “Sometimes it’s good to switch off from the usual routine, make some space, and reconnect. This Saturday offered exactly that opportunity at the RSM Alumni Meet — catching up with familiar faces, meeting new people, and exchanging experiences and ideas. Some interesting takeaways as well, particularly from the session on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition and the panel discussion on Community Engagement — both offering different perspectives on creating impact, through business as well as through the communities around us. Thanks to the RSM Alumni team for bringing the community together and creating the space for these conversations. A Saturday well spent — reconnecting, learning and reflecting.”
Another attendee, Francesco Romeo (MBA 2016) Head of Global Merchant Boarding for Worldline, posted on LinkedIn: “Back to school for a day – and what a day it was! So much energy reconnecting with alumni and friends, diving into the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges around AI, and exploring the power of improvisation for leadership.”
For more information about further events for RSM alumni in Rotterdam and around the world with the RSM Local Alumni Chapters, see www.rsm.nl/alumni
