Capgemini Invent collaborates with Boston University on scholarship fund supporting future business leaders

This fund will provide annual, need-based scholarship awards to one or more deserving undergraduates at the Questrom School of Business honoring the outstanding contribution of the late Alessandro Di Fiore (1965-2021) to the world of management practice. As part of the Century Challenge, Boston University will match the income from the scholarship fund over the next 100 years.

Di Fiore was an influential voice in strategy and innovation, recognized for developing the concept of the insight-driven organization and a leading thinker on the power of democratization. He was the founder and CEO of the European Center for Strategic Innovation (ECSI), a management research and advisory center, which became part of the Capgemini Group in 2021. The team now forms The Management Lab by Capgemini Invent where it works with leading professors and thinkers globally to bridge the latest in management ideas into real business practice for clients.

“We are delighted to have Capgemini Invent as a valued scholarship donor. I am proud that my dear friend and colleague, Alessandro, will now permanently be associated with access and excellence at our school, recognizing his significant contribution to management strategy,” said Marshall Van Alstyne, Questrom Professor in Management; Professor, Information Systems. “The collaboration with Capgemini Invent’s Management Lab ensures organizations worldwide understand and put in practice the latest in platform strategies and business models. Now, I am excited to extend our engagement to invest in the management minds of the future.”

At the Ninth Annual Platform Strategy Research Symposium event held yesterday at Boston University, Professor Marshall Van Alstyne, accompanied by Alessandro’s wife, Letizia Affinito, was honored to announce the establishment of the Capgemini Invent Scholarship Fund. Elisa Farri and Paolo Cervini from Capgemini Invent’s Management Lab were also present to award the first annual Best Platform Paper prize to Bobby Zhou and Tianxin Zou for their research on “Competing for Recommendations: Their Strategic Impact in Online Markets.” This scholarship and award reflect Capgemini Invent’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and motivating the next generation of management thinkers.

“At Capgemini Invent, we value education and continuous learning and recognize the importance of making it accessible to all regardless of socioeconomic background. We are delighted to partner with Boston University to create this fund in the legacy of Alessandro, one of the greatest management minds, and to ensure generations of students can fulfil their dreams and open doors to new ideas,” said Laurence Metzke, Chief HR Officer at Capgemini Invent. “Our partnerships with the academic world strengthen our ability to bridge the latest management ideas into practice helping clients reinvent, transform, and grow.”

About Capgemini Invent

As the digital innovation, design and transformation brand of the Capgemini Group, Capgemini Invent enables CxOs to envision and shape the future of their businesses. Located in nearly 40 studios and more than 60 offices around the world, it comprises a 10,000+ strong team of strategists, data scientists, product and experience designers, brand experts and technologists who develop new digital services, products, experiences and business models for sustainable growth.

Capgemini Invent is an integral part of Capgemini, a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of over 325,000 team members more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported in 2021 global revenues of €18 billion.

Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com/invent

About the Boston University Questrom School of Business

Founded in 1913, the Boston University Questrom School of Business is a global top-tier academic research business school.  Led by Allen Questrom Professor and Dean, Susan Fournier, Questrom develops business leaders who create value for the world.  Questrom redefines transformational business programs, strengthens partnerships with the business community, advances the impact of research on business, and manages the school as a high-performing enterprise committed to excellence with a service mindset.  Comprising a renowned full-time faculty of 165 researchers, teaching faculty, and accomplished practitioners, Questrom generates insights to address today’s business challenges and prepare students with the tools they need to succeed from Day 1 in their professional lives.  Questrom’s portfolio of academic programs is robust and includes a Top 20 undergraduate program of over 2,200 students; distinctive MBA offerings including 900 students in a full- and part-time MBA, the affordable Online MBA and specialty MBAs in social impact, health, and digital technology; several thriving specialized masters programs in areas including business analytics, mathematical finance, and management studies; and a rigorous PhD program. More than 50,000 Questrom alumni form a powerful global network of leaders driving value creation that changes the world.

QUESTROM MEANS BUSINESS.  For more information, visit bu.edu/Questrom.