Day 1: Novartis – Innovative Medicines

Our first stop took us to Novartis in Ljubljana, where we were welcomed with a nice little breakfast before getting into an engaging roundtable discussion. We did not only learn more about the company’s mission to improve and extend people’s lives through developing innovative medicines, but could also gain invaluable insights into the corporate strategy, communications, talent management and D&I initiatives.

Day 1: AT Kearney – Global Management Consulting

After a refreshing lunch break, we continued our journey to visit AT Kearney. At their SEE office in Ljubljana, we got to know how their consulting processes are structured and what it means to work as a consultant. We also obtained a very detailed understanding of how we can start and develop our careers in consulting, providing us with a clearer picture of where we see ourselves in the future.

Day 2: Fincantieri – State-of-the-art Shipbuilding

The last stop of our excursion brought us to the Fincantieri headquarters in Trieste. As one of the world’s largest shipbuilding companies, Fincantieri provided us with profound insights into their organizational structure, corporate strategy, and innovative and sustainable developments. We also had the opportunity to learn more about their talent management process and understand how they manage the complexities of their industry.

Thank you to all our hosts and discussion partners in this excursion for widely opening your doors and sharing your knowledge and experience with us:

• At Novartis: Jerica Rozman Pungerčar, Nejc Jaka Sekula, Mateja Breznik, Nina Lemez, Nina Pakiž, and Nina Papež.
• At AT Kearney: Marko Derča, Luka Šepec, and Anej Lah
• And at Fincantieri: Annalisa Bertuzzi, Paolo D’Auria, Erica Degano, Mirka Polita, Michele Tornielli, and Giorgia Crosariol.

Students’ insights

“Participating in the excursion was a privilege and an incredibly enriching experience. It provided a unique opportunity to visit and gain in-depth insights into three fascinating, diverse, and highly successful companies, while also allowing us to connect with individuals in high managerial roles. The insights, experiences, and knowledge they shared were invaluable. What I appreciated most was the enthusiasm and passion of everyone who hosted us. One thing that stood out to me was seeing how, in a company as large as Novartis, where its structure might initially seem strictly top-down, there's room for innovation and for team leaders to bring their unique personalities and ways to work into the workplace. It was surprising to learn how loose and adaptable the internal organizational processes and culture at Novartis can be.” Marc Schindler (1st semester IBM student)

“Our recent excursion was an unforgettable journey into the heart of innovation. It was incredible to see how Novartis is pushing the boundaries of healthcare, how AT Kearney turns business challenges into strategic triumphs, and how Fincantieri builds so massive ships. What really stood out, though, were the moments that made it all feel real: the laughs with classmates, the inspiring conversations with industry leaders, the surprising number of notebooks we all somehow ended up collecting, and the feeling of being part of something much bigger. This trip reminded me that learning happens not just in classrooms, but in real-world experiences—and that sometimes, the best takeaways come in the form of pens and shared stories.” Laman Ibishova (1st semester IBM student)