Yesterday 1st July, MIB Trieste School of Management has awarded the prestigious MBA Honoris Causa to Philippe Donnet, Group CEO of Generali, during an official ceremony held at Palazzo Ferdinandeo, the historical headquarters of the School.
As highlighted in the Laudatio Magistralis, Donnet represents “an exemplary role model for students, the academic community, and the business world.” The conferral marks the continuation of a longstanding tradition for MIB Trieste, which began in 1993 with Gianfranco Viezzoli, then Chairman of Enel. Over the years, this honour has been bestowed upon prominent figures such as Pietro Marzotto, Marco Tronchetti Provera, Leonardo Del Vecchio, Gilberto Benetton, Mario Draghi, Alessandro Profumo, Paolo Scaroni, and, more recently, Giuseppe Bono and Giampiero Benedetti.
“This recognition,” explained Vladimir Nanut, CEO and Founder of MIB Trieste School of Management, “celebrates an outstanding leader in the global insurance and financial sector. Through the MBA Honoris Causa, we aim to offer our students inspiring examples of individuals who, through remarkable expertise and extraordinary leadership, have achieved excellence in their field. Moreover, through initiatives like today’s, MIB Trieste reaffirms its role not only as a driver of human capital development for the economy but also as a promoter of business culture in Italy, where this remains an historical gap.”
Andrea Tracogna, Dean of the School, added:“Donnet’s leadership has always been defined by vision, the ability to manage complexity without oversimplification, and responsible innovation. These are precisely the values we strive to pass on in our classrooms and the impact we aim to generate. With a distinctive focus on the insurance and financial sector, and constant investment in applied research and innovation – including ESG and AI – we believe leadership models such as the one embodied by Philippe Donnet are essential to our educational mission.”
THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE MBA HONORARY DEGREE
The reasons for this recognition were presented by Francesco Venier, Executive MBA Director and Dean for Executive Education, during the Laudatio Academica. Donnet's exemplary leadership has significantly strengthened Generali's global position while integrating sustainability and ESG principles into every strategic decision. He has been instrumental in driving the Group’s digital transformation and enhancing its customer-centric approach.
A tangible example of his vision is the creation of The Human Safety Net in 2017, an international foundation operating in 26 countries that has already reached nearly 800,000 beneficiaries through programs supporting vulnerable families and refugees with entrepreneurial potential. His commitment to cultural heritage is evident in initiatives such as the reopening of Venice’s Procuratie Vecchie, the restoration of the Royal Gardens, and the support for the acquisition of Palazzo Carciotti in Trieste, which now hosts the Fondazione Agorai, an innovative platform for dialogue between academia and business in the field of artificial intelligence.
Under Donnet’s leadership, Generali has also played a key role in European institutional dialogue, actively contributing to discussions on post-pandemic recovery and the European Green Deal, demonstrating how private enterprise can engage constructively with today’s global challenges.
LECTIO MAGISTRALIS
You can access the full video recording and transcript (in Italian) → go to the Lectio Magistralis webpage
In his Lectio Magistralis, Philippe Donnet shared his vision of conscious and human-centered leadership — a vision shaped over the course of his career in the private sector and in institutional roles, further enriched by his engineering education at École Polytechnique, as well as by the values acquired through rugby and military discipline.
The rugby field, in particular, teaches that even the most talented players cannot win alone, making collaboration and mutual trust essential. Surrounding oneself with capable, intelligent individuals with strong technical knowledge is key to fostering continuous learning. A leader must create an environment where everyone can express their full potential, empowering managers and colleagues to take decisions and share ideas and concerns openly. This approach nurtures the group’s collective intelligence – the ability to cooperate and share knowledge to achieve common goals.
Drawing on his military experience, Donnet emphasised the need for structured processes and clear responsibilities. Other essential leadership qualities include having an open mind, courage in decisive moments, maintaining high energy levels that inspire teams, embracing multiculturalism and diversity as organisational strengths, and developing a long-term vision that leaves a lasting impact. Leaders must also quickly adapt to change, even when it means stepping out of their comfort zone.
Donnet also underlined the social responsibility of corporate leaders. In a world facing growing complexity due to the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and the digital revolution, large private companies like Generali must join forces with governments, public institutions, and academia through public-private partnerships to address global challenges. He provided several examples, including Generali’s collaboration with the UN Development Programme to create innovative insurance solutions enhancing financial and climate resilience in developing countries, reflecting the Group's deep commitment to sustainability – where alignment between values, words, and actions is paramount.
Finally, Donnet placed particular emphasis on the ethical responsibility that comes with leadership, highlighting the importance of acting with integrity and full transparency. He also reminded the audience that a leader’s words and actions can have far-reaching consequences, not only for the organization as a whole but also for the people who are part of it.
In conclusion, Donnet described leadership as a complex yet highly rewarding challenge, requiring the continuous development of both technical and soft skills. While ensuring sound financial and operational management remains fundamental, expectations have evolved, with accountability extending beyond shareholders to include employees, distributors, suppliers, financial partners, policymakers, and society at large. Leadership today, he concluded, offers the unique opportunity to create real value for people, together with one’s team.
As highlighted in the Laudatio Magistralis, Donnet represents “an exemplary role model for students, the academic community, and the business world.” The conferral marks the continuation of a longstanding tradition for MIB Trieste, which began in 1993 with Gianfranco Viezzoli, then Chairman of Enel. Over the years, this honour has been bestowed upon prominent figures such as Pietro Marzotto, Marco Tronchetti Provera, Leonardo Del Vecchio, Gilberto Benetton, Mario Draghi, Alessandro Profumo, Paolo Scaroni, and, more recently, Giuseppe Bono and Giampiero Benedetti.
“This recognition,” explained Vladimir Nanut, CEO and Founder of MIB Trieste School of Management, “celebrates an outstanding leader in the global insurance and financial sector. Through the MBA Honoris Causa, we aim to offer our students inspiring examples of individuals who, through remarkable expertise and extraordinary leadership, have achieved excellence in their field. Moreover, through initiatives like today’s, MIB Trieste reaffirms its role not only as a driver of human capital development for the economy but also as a promoter of business culture in Italy, where this remains an historical gap.”
Andrea Tracogna, Dean of the School, added:“Donnet’s leadership has always been defined by vision, the ability to manage complexity without oversimplification, and responsible innovation. These are precisely the values we strive to pass on in our classrooms and the impact we aim to generate. With a distinctive focus on the insurance and financial sector, and constant investment in applied research and innovation – including ESG and AI – we believe leadership models such as the one embodied by Philippe Donnet are essential to our educational mission.”
THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE MBA HONORARY DEGREE
The reasons for this recognition were presented by Francesco Venier, Executive MBA Director and Dean for Executive Education, during the Laudatio Academica. Donnet's exemplary leadership has significantly strengthened Generali's global position while integrating sustainability and ESG principles into every strategic decision. He has been instrumental in driving the Group’s digital transformation and enhancing its customer-centric approach.
A tangible example of his vision is the creation of The Human Safety Net in 2017, an international foundation operating in 26 countries that has already reached nearly 800,000 beneficiaries through programs supporting vulnerable families and refugees with entrepreneurial potential. His commitment to cultural heritage is evident in initiatives such as the reopening of Venice’s Procuratie Vecchie, the restoration of the Royal Gardens, and the support for the acquisition of Palazzo Carciotti in Trieste, which now hosts the Fondazione Agorai, an innovative platform for dialogue between academia and business in the field of artificial intelligence.
Under Donnet’s leadership, Generali has also played a key role in European institutional dialogue, actively contributing to discussions on post-pandemic recovery and the European Green Deal, demonstrating how private enterprise can engage constructively with today’s global challenges.
LECTIO MAGISTRALIS
You can access the full video recording and transcript (in Italian) → go to the Lectio Magistralis webpage
In his Lectio Magistralis, Philippe Donnet shared his vision of conscious and human-centered leadership — a vision shaped over the course of his career in the private sector and in institutional roles, further enriched by his engineering education at École Polytechnique, as well as by the values acquired through rugby and military discipline.
The rugby field, in particular, teaches that even the most talented players cannot win alone, making collaboration and mutual trust essential. Surrounding oneself with capable, intelligent individuals with strong technical knowledge is key to fostering continuous learning. A leader must create an environment where everyone can express their full potential, empowering managers and colleagues to take decisions and share ideas and concerns openly. This approach nurtures the group’s collective intelligence – the ability to cooperate and share knowledge to achieve common goals.
Drawing on his military experience, Donnet emphasised the need for structured processes and clear responsibilities. Other essential leadership qualities include having an open mind, courage in decisive moments, maintaining high energy levels that inspire teams, embracing multiculturalism and diversity as organisational strengths, and developing a long-term vision that leaves a lasting impact. Leaders must also quickly adapt to change, even when it means stepping out of their comfort zone.
Donnet also underlined the social responsibility of corporate leaders. In a world facing growing complexity due to the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and the digital revolution, large private companies like Generali must join forces with governments, public institutions, and academia through public-private partnerships to address global challenges. He provided several examples, including Generali’s collaboration with the UN Development Programme to create innovative insurance solutions enhancing financial and climate resilience in developing countries, reflecting the Group's deep commitment to sustainability – where alignment between values, words, and actions is paramount.
Finally, Donnet placed particular emphasis on the ethical responsibility that comes with leadership, highlighting the importance of acting with integrity and full transparency. He also reminded the audience that a leader’s words and actions can have far-reaching consequences, not only for the organization as a whole but also for the people who are part of it.
In conclusion, Donnet described leadership as a complex yet highly rewarding challenge, requiring the continuous development of both technical and soft skills. While ensuring sound financial and operational management remains fundamental, expectations have evolved, with accountability extending beyond shareholders to include employees, distributors, suppliers, financial partners, policymakers, and society at large. Leadership today, he concluded, offers the unique opportunity to create real value for people, together with one’s team.
Philippe Donnet's Profile
A dual French and Italian citizen, Donnet has been Group CEO of Generali since March 2016. His distinguished academic background includes a degree in Engineering from École Polytechnique in Paris (1983), actuarial qualifications in 1986, and the prestigious agrégé title from the Institut des Actuaires Français (1991). His international career spans senior roles at AXA Group, including CEO of AXA Italy, Regional CEO for Southern Europe, Middle East, Latin America and Canada, CEO of AXA Japan, and Regional CEO for Asia Pacific. He also held leadership positions at Wendel Investissement in Singapore and co-founded HLD, an investment firm in Paris. At Generali, Donnet has successfully led the Group through significant transformation, launching and delivering three strategic plans widely recognised by the market. A success further evidenced by a total shareholder return of nearly 342 percent — the highest in the European insurance sector — along with an increase of over 80 percent in the dividend per share. The current strategy, “Lifetime Partner 27: Driving Excellence”, aims to further reinforce Generali's global competitiveness. Donnet has been awarded “Best CEO” in the European insurance sector for four consecutive years by Institutional Investor and Extel and holds honours such as Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (2006), Chevalier dans l’Ordre de la Légion d’honneur (2016), and Cavaliere del Lavoro (2021). He also served as Chairman of MIB Trieste School of Management from 2015 to 2018.
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