Skip to main content
Back
Popular Pages
Educators
Businesses
Learners
About
Bright green and teal line drawing of crystal award shape Global Impact Awards

Federico Frattini

Dean
Recognition Year(s): 2026
Category: Impactful Leadership
School: POLIMI Graduate School of Management, Politecnico di Milano
Location: Italy

Theme: Strategic Innovation

Summary of Leader’s Initiative

At POLIMI Graduate School of Management, Professor and Dean Federico Frattini has redefined the institution’s organizational purpose to move beyond profit-centric education, embracing a transformative mission to shape a better future for all. This shift has positioned the school as a catalyst for societal change, embedding purpose into leadership, culture, and curriculum.

Leader’s Motive for Initiative

In 2019, POLIMI Graduate School of Management (POLIMI GSoM) launched a pioneering initiative to redefine its organizational purpose. This transformation was driven by a growing awareness of the limitations of traditional business education, which for decades had been shaped by a paradigm centered on profit maximization and shareholder value. Frattini, along with the school’s leadership, recognized that this narrow focus was increasingly misaligned with the societal, environmental, and ethical challenges facing today’s world.

The challenge was clear: Business schools, including POLIMI GSoM, had long operated within a framework that emphasized technical competence and career advancement, often at the expense of broader societal impact. While the school had made strides in integrating corporate social responsibility and sustainability into its curriculum—and was the first European business school to achieve B Corp certification—in the dean’s estimation, these efforts were not enough. Under Frattini’s guidance, the leadership team realized that incremental changes would not suffice. A deeper, systemic redefinition of the school’s identity, values, and strategic direction was needed.

This realization prompted a fundamental question: What is the purpose of a business school? POLIMI GSoM chose to confront this question with honesty, courage, and ambition. The answer led to a commitment to move beyond the limited goal of helping individuals succeed in their careers, toward a collective and elevated purpose: shaping a better future for all. This required not only curricular reform but also cultural and organizational transformation rooted in empathy, integrity, and accountability.

The opportunity lay in positioning the school as a catalyst for change—an institution that could inspire and equip future leaders to address global challenges with purpose, humility, and responsibility. To support this vision, POLIMI GSoM partnered with The Mind at Work,™ a consultancy specializing in purposeful leadership and organizational development. Together, the team embarked on a journey to realign the school’s purpose, values, and culture from within.

This transformation involved strategic workshops, coaching, and cultural diagnostics across all levels of the organization. Leaders, staff, and faculty engaged in cycles of reflection and action, exploring personal and collective aspirations and learning to embed purpose into decision-making and relationships. The initiative also led to the redesign of the school’s flagship MBA program—now the New Generation MBA—which integrates human-centric leadership, sustainability, and purpose-driven education. The program reflects the school’s openness to students’ evolving needs and its commitment to internationalization, diversity, and service orientation.

Ultimately, the motivation behind this initiative was both ethical and strategic. Guided by Frattini, POLIMI GSoM recognized its responsibility to prepare future leaders who could navigate complexity with clarity, resilience, and conscience. By redefining its purpose as “We nurture innovators to shape a better future for all”, the school embraced a new role—not just as an educator but as a force for societal transformation. Through visionary leadership and a culture of generosity and respect, POLIMI GSoM has become a model for institutions seeking to lead altruistic change.

Leader’s Contribution to Initiative

The success of POLIMI GSoM’s transformation into a purpose-driven institution is inseparable from the visionary leadership of its dean. Frattini’s strategic foresight, personal commitment, and inclusive leadership style were instrumental in initiating, guiding, and embedding the school’s new purpose.

Frattini ensured that the partnership with The Mind at Work was not a superficial engagement but a deeply integrated collaboration. He participated in strategic workshops and coaching sessions, modeling the introspective work required to align personal and institutional aspirations with the school’s renewed purpose.

Frattini’s influence extended across all levels of the organization. He championed the delivery of purpose workshops to faculty, staff, and alumni, fostering a shared understanding and commitment to the new direction. He oversaw the development of cultural diagnostics and the implementation of a new performance development framework that linked individual growth to the school’s core values: Passionate Innovator, Humble Professional, and Respectful Partner.

One of Frattini’s most significant contributions was leading the redesign of the school’s flagship MBA program, resulting in the New Generation MBA. This program prepares students not only to succeed in business but to lead meaningful change. Frattini ensured that faculty were engaged in co-creating content and pedagogical approaches that reflected the school’s new ethos.

Beyond curriculum and culture, Frattini also spearheaded the school’s rebranding from MIP to POLIMI Graduate School of Management. This change symbolized the transformation in identity and ambition, aligning the school’s external image with its internal values and strategic priorities. Throughout the transformation, Frattini demonstrated a rare blend of intellectual rigor, emotional intelligence, and moral conviction. He inspired trust, fostered collaboration, and maintained a clear focus on the school’s long-term impact. Frattini’s leadership not only guided the school through a complex change process but also positioned POLIMI GSoM as a global pioneer in purpose-driven business education.

In summary, Frattini’s leadership has been the foundation of POLIMI GSoM’s transformation. His ability to unite vision with action and strategy with empathy has provided a lasting legacy—one that will continually shape the school’s culture, curriculum, and contributions to society.

Impact of Leader’s Initiative

Between 2019 and 2024, POLIMI GSoM undertook a profound cultural transformation aimed at redefining the role of business education in society. The transformation involved a deep realignment of values, leadership practices, educational content, and stakeholder engagement.

The initiative led to tangible and measurable outcomes across multiple dimensions, as well as meaningful impact on the POLIMI GSoM community and beyond:

Outcomes and Measurable Results

  • Organizational Growth: Between 2019 and 2022, the school saw a 105 percent increase in master’s program enrollments, 380 additional participants in Management Academy programs, and the launch of eight new master’s programs. Alumni engagement rose by 850 individuals, and 175 new companies became partners in school programs.
  • Curriculum Innovation: The flagship International Full-Time MBA was redesigned into the New Generation MBA, integrating purpose-driven leadership, sustainability, and emotional intelligence into its core. Over 400 students completed the Sustainability Mindset Indicator assessment in 2024, and 83 percent of final projects were mapped against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program is recognized at the international level in the most popular rankings, with a top-100 position worldwide in the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2024, where it features once again in the 2026 ranking.
  • Cultural Shift: A strategic purpose program was introduced across all levels of the organization. In total, 145 staff members, 10 staff leaders, and seven executive committee members participated in 140 hours of workshops and 204 hours of coaching. Faculty engagement included 50 peer-to-peer meetings and 20 co-creation sessions to embed purpose into teaching.
  • Performance Development: The school replaced its traditional performance model with a future-oriented framework focused on intrinsic motivation and alignment with the cultural pillars of Passionate Innovator, Humble Professional, and Respectful Partner.
  • Brand and Identity: In 2022, the school rebranded from MIP to POLIMI GSoM, aligning its identity with its renewed purpose. The new brand emphasized “Make, Connect, Ignite”—a reflection of its commitment to experiential learning, community building, and sparking innovation.

Impact on the Community and Stakeholders

  • Students and Alumni: Initiatives like “Shaping Purposeful Futures,” the School of Management Prize for SDGs, and the Purposeful Coaching program engaged students and alumni in meaningful, impact-driven experiences. In 2024 alone, over 3,459 individuals were educated on purpose and sustainability, and 557,312 were inspired through outreach activities.
  • Faculty and Staff: The transformation fostered a culture of inclusion, well-being, and continuous learning. Nearly all staff (96 percent) participated in training, and 80 percent engaged in innovation and sustainability workshops. The school also launched well-being initiatives, including mental health support and inclusive parental policies.
  • External Recognition: POLIMI GSoM became the first European business school to achieve B Corp certification, received a silver EcoVadis rating for sustainability, and earned EFMD’s Business School Impact System label for its societal impact.
  • Global Influence: The school’s transformation inspired other institutions through initiatives like “Repurposing Management Education” and the “Foresight 2050” conference, positioning POLIMI GSoM as a leader in purpose-driven education.

Federico Frattini has successfully instilled the school’s redefined purpose, inspired transformation, fostered inclusion, and positioned POLIMI GSoM as a global change leader.

Additional Information