Elvio Rossini  

SDA Bocconi

“A pharmaceutical chemist with a passion for finance, entrepreneurship, and skiing.”

Hometown:  Milan, Italy

Fun fact about yourself: When I’m teaching skiing in my free time, people are often surprised when their instructor starts casually discussing EBITDA and advanced therapies on the chairlift

Undergraduate School and Degree:  University of Milan, Pharmaceutical Chemistry (BSc, MSc)

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school?

* Pharmalex, Market Access Consultant: Pharma business consulting specialized in national pharmaceutical market access, now a global leading provider of specialized services for the biopharma and MedTech industries in 25 countries, with 750 Mio EUR in revenues and 2K+ employees

* ATMP Forum, Project Manager: Multistakeholder annual event to promote access to Advanced Therapeutic Medical Products in Italy, where budget impact projections are presented to the NHS.

* Family Business: Real Estate Development

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Roche (Global Headquarters), Basel, Switzerland: Risk Assessment and Commercial DD on Advanced Therapies (ATMP) Portfolio

Where will you be working after graduation? After graduating, Federico Verderi and I co-founded B2R Italian Investments, a duo search fund focused on acquiring and operating a small to mid-sized enterprise (SME) in Italy.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: I led the organization of a hackathon for Eurocar (Porsche Holding), with the support of the Consulting Club. The project involved drafting a business case that highlighted a key challenge faced by the company. The case was then distributed to 30 MBA students, divided into 10 teams, who were tasked with presenting their solutions to the company’s C-level executives. It was a major success and a great opportunity for the class.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? When we planned the ski weekend with the Ski Club board (of which I was the president) and the school, we decided to make it a multi-sponsor event. Thanks to an incredible team effort, we secured support from several highly recognized sponsors, including Eurocar (Porsche Holding, for whom we organized the above-mentioned hackathon in exchange), EQT Partners, Red Bull, Level Gloves, MC2 Saint Barth, Sidel, and Snowitt — all despite the demanding MBA schedule.

This initiative helped forge new and stronger connections between these companies, the university, and the new MBA cohort. A big thank you to my amazing MBA colleagues: this wouldn’t have been possible without their passion, teamwork, and support.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I’m particularly proud of having achieved a scientific publication as a first author in Pharmacoeconomics—despite not being a PhD student. The article is the result of four years of research in the pharmaceutical market access field. I’m especially grateful to Professor Claudio Jommi for his invaluable support throughout the process.

The publication is titled: Rossini, E.E. et al. “From Indication-Based Pricing to Blended Approach: Evidence on the Price and Reimbursement Negotiation in Italy.”

Why did you choose this business school? I chose the SDA Bocconi MBA because I envision myself working in Italy in the long term and I wanted to gain a deep understanding of the international business environment through an Italian lens. One of the biggest strengths of SDA Bocconi is definitely its network, both the alumni community and the close relationships the school has with top tier companies. I also really appreciated the school’s focus on merit, offering scholarships to deserving students, one of which I was fortunate to receive.

I also want to include something I wrote verbatim in my MBA application cover letter, words that now resonate even more deeply as I embark on launching a search fund more than two years after writing them:

”I feel the urge to acquire, as fast and early as possible, the economical and managerial tools for three main purposes.

First of all, I would like to increase the number of options in my professional career, avoiding the possible stagnancy in growth and salary opportunities. Secondly, I would like to have the opportunity to return to the job market with a strong background that allows me to obtain a high-level position in order to experience working in a pharma multinational in the short/mid-term.   

In the long term, I’m totally sure and very motivated to start up my own business in the healthcare or food sector in Italy since I consider myself a risk lover, and that’s why I feel it is appropriate to do so. In this view, I’m sure that the SDA Bocconi MBA would help me in acquiring a broad view to do this.”

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Stefano Pogutz, the MBA Program Director, was my favorite professor and likely one of the most frequently mentioned by my classmates as well. He was a constant presence in the school’s corridors and at every event, formal or informal, always available to listen to student feedback and offer both personal and professional support.

Coming from a public university where the gap between students and faculty tends to be wider, I truly appreciated the opportunity to build a personal connection with him and many other members of the SDA Bocconi faculty.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? One of the most impactful courses for me was Corporate Valuation and M&A, taught by Professors Maurizio Dallocchio and Federico Pippo. Coming from a technical background, I’ve always had a strong interest in finance and business, and this course provided a solid framework for analyzing and valuing companies. It sharpened my ability to segment a business and assess it through key financial methodologies, as well as understand the key drivers of value in a company.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? As a big skiing enthusiast, the ski weekend in La Thuile, Mont Blanc, was a highlight for me. Organizing it was a joy, especially seeing over 20 non-skiers hit the slopes for the first time. Hosting such a diverse group of classmates, sponsors, and professors in the place where I first learned to ski made it even more special.

Taking place early in the program, the event helped create a strong, supportive bond within the 2024 class and reflected the school’s openness to student-led initiatives and relationship-building within a close-knit MBA cohort.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? At the start of the program, I was certain that I didn’t want to participate in the exchange program at another business school—and ultimately, I chose not to. However, after hearing about the experiences of my classmates, I came to realize that an exchange in a country with a vastly different cultural and professional landscape – such as China or India – could have been a valuable opportunity to further broaden my international exposure and push myself through a meaningful cultural challenge.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I was born in Milan, and before starting the program, I had often heard that the SDA Bocconi MBA lacked international exposure. However, I found this perception to be largely inaccurate. In fact, the percentage of Italian students is relatively low, and being accepted into the program as an Italian is, in my opinion, quite competitive. The class’s diversity truly fosters a global learning environment.

What did you love most about your business school’s town?  I’m from Milan, and I believe the city holds strong future potential in several areas:

1) Quality of Life: Milan offers an exceptional lifestyle—within 20 minutes you can reach almost any point in the city. In just two hours by car, you can be at the lake, in the mountains, or by the sea.

2) Internationalization: Since EXPO 2015, Milan has been rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly international. Thanks to its strategic location in Europe and the abundance of global events hosted here, the city continues to attract people from all over the world.

Additionally, the new SDA Bocconi campus is located close to the city center, which I see as a significant added value.

What movie or television show best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? One TV series I highly recommend is The Playlist. It explores the challenges of building a startup and highlights the vastly different perspectives of each stakeholder; each episode is told from a different point of view.

As Charlie Munger once said, “Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome.” That quote perfectly captures the core lesson I took from the series. Understanding the incentives driving each stakeholder is one of the best ways to communicate effectively, align interests, and bring people together to build something truly successful.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? I have to say that from the very beginning of the program, the topic of AI and its potential impact was discussed throughout the program, meaning that its impact was analyzed through different lenses in each of the courses.

It became clear—not only to me but also to many of my classmates—that the disruptive potential of this technology is enormous, and its influence on our careers as future MBAs could be equally significant.

As future managers, it’s essential that we stay ahead of the curve by quickly adapting to emerging technologies. At the same time, we must also cultivate soft skills that are equally critical—such as effective teamwork, persuasive communication, and a mindset geared toward continuous learning.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? As I mentioned earlier, I entered the MBA with the goal of acquiring the hard skills needed to eventually build something of my own. What I didn’t fully anticipate was that the program could also be the perfect place to find the right venture partner.

Federico Verderi is someone I deeply admire. We had the opportunity to collaborate closely throughout the MBA—not only as study partners but also while working together on the SDA Bocconi Ski Club. As I write this, we’re in the exciting process of launching a search fund in Italy. It has been an incredible journey: we’re enjoying the process of fundraising, sourcing SMEs, and traveling across Europe, all while navigating the emotional highs and lows that come with such a demanding venture.

While we don’t yet know if we’ll successfully complete the fundraising stage, one thing is certain: working with Federico has been an exceptional learning experience. He’s detail-oriented, emotionally intelligent, and brings deep expertise in finance. Collaborating with him has been both professionally rewarding and personally meaningful.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?  My top two professional goals are, first, to launch my own entrepreneurial venture through the search fund model and pursue my long-standing aspiration to become an entrepreneur. Second, I aim to give back by helping future MBA candidates with guidance, just as I’ve benefited from former MBA alumni and SDA faculty.

What made Elvio such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“It is a pleasure to nominate Elvio for this prestigious recognition. From day one, he stood out as a natural leader and a generous community builder. As President of the Ski Club, he flawlessly organized the one MBA Club’s flagship social event, uniting the entire class and showcasing exceptional planning and leadership skills. Being a ski instructor, he used his skiing network to create even more unforgettable activities for the class.

Beyond the slopes, he cultivated a strategic relationship with the event’s sponsor, successfully bringing them to campus for a valuable recruiting session. His initiative created new opportunities for the whole cohort.

Securing a competitive position at Roche’s global headquarters in Basel, he exemplified professional excellence. Yet what truly sets him apart is his entrepreneurial spirit—choosing to follow his dream by launching a search fund with a fellow classmate while continuing to give back. He actively opened doors for the next MBA cohort, offering contacts and creating internship opportunities.

And he accomplished all this through gentle leadership, never losing his human, caring, and inspirational approach. His legacy has left a lasting mark on our MBA community.”

Alfredo Llovet 
MBA Class Leader & Alumni Advisor 

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2025

 

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