Meet Alessandra, graduate of International Business Management

Read Alessandra's story about:

• Risk-taking and decision-making
• Personal growth and development

And get her advice for new KdG students.

From professional ballet dancer to international business graduate

Alessandra started studying at KdG at the age of 30. A talented dancer, she had moved to Belgium from Italy, aged 23, and was recruited by the world-renowned Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. A rewarding career as a professional ballet dancer ensued.

A knee injury prevented Alessandra from continuing to perform at the top level required. And so she began to teach dancing. But this change forced Alessandra to consider other options for her future. Teaching had begun to feel restrictive and Alessandra wanted to relate to others outside the beautiful but intensely focused world she had known.

So an adventure beckoned: to cut her teeth on new skills; to expand horizons; to explore the varied world of international business and give herself a wider range of options outside ballet.

Fast forward 3 years, and in July 2023 Alessandra graduated with the highest degree level; summa cum laude, a sparkling achievement for someone who had taken a huge risk in literally transitioning from one world to another.

We caught up with Alessandra at a KdG alumni event in February 2024 which she attended in order to share her insights as a graduate with 2nd year International Business Management students.

A remarkable change! What made you choose International Business Management?

It made sense because I had grown up in an international environment through my ballet and I didn’t want to lose being around a diverse range of people from different backgrounds. And because the curriculum is so broad, I felt it would give me the chance to explore and discover what I most enjoy, and what I’m best at.

What key skills did you develop during your studies?

As well as the across-the-board business knowledge that I acquired, I really benefitted from the cross-cultural communication courses. These not only taught me how to be effective in a team but also prompted self-reflection: about how to communicate with different personality types as well as with different cultures.

I’m quite outgoing so I had to learn to work with more introverted people for example on group assignments. And I was older than many classmates too so I became interested in group dynamics, what other people’s preferences are in communication, and to learn to manage that.

How did you discover what you wanted to do as a career?

I felt very drawn to the human side of business, so the softer skills. By the 2nd year I really felt I had an affinity with Human Resources. And having enjoyed the cross-cultural communication, I decided to do my thesis on the subject of diversity and inclusion. A passion for that subject was the direct link to my internship, and in turn my current job.

Tell us more!

Well I got to know about PWC through one of the lecturers at KdG. They put me in touch with a contact they had, and after meeting them I was fortunate enough to be offered an internship there focusing on Diversity & inclusion so there was really a direct connection between what I had discovered I was most interested in and my work experience.

And after graduation, there wasn’t a vacancy within the D&I team but I’d made contacts and clearly a good impression! So I found my current role - within talent acquisition.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I love the variety as I’m dealing with people from all different backgrounds, working in various fields. You don’t always know how things are going to pan out!

Working with senior level people from around the world is very interesting as you get to know what inspires them. It’s also a fulfilling job because I’m helping people to find jobs. And there’s a very supportive culture here at PWC.

What advice do you have for new students starting an IBM programme?

• Remember you are leaving an impression wherever you go from day one so start as you mean to go on.
• Start your network already. Make connections with the teachers as this can open opportunities. It did for me!
• Develop a growth mindset – push yourself out of your comfort zone!

We hope you found Alessandra’s story inspirational. Perhaps you’ll get to meet her at a KdG event in the future, as she wants to help the next generation of students. Recruiting new talent is kind of her thing now😉

And in case you’re wondering, Alessandra does keep up her passion for ballet and continues to teach in the weekends.