By Heather Blahnik (MA ’96, NC ’98, AI ’99)

Headlines around the world have talked about the appointment of Mario Monti as Prime Minister of Italy.  What most people don’t know, and will soon hear more about, is that Mr. Monti is an AIESEC alumnus and attributes his entry into the European Commission, where he started his career, to an AIESEC traineeship.

“How could I forget AIESEC?  It was thanks to an AIESEC traineeship that I got to the European Commission.” 

Prof. Mario Monti, European Commissioner, after he became Rector of Bocconi University

Mr. Monti holds a degree in economics and management from Bocconi University, Milan.  He went on an AIESEC traineeship before completing his graduate studies at Yale University.

Mr.Monti taught economics at the University of Turin for many years before moving to Bocconi University, where he was its Rector and its President. In 1994 Mr. Monti was appointed to the European Commission and on 16 November 2011, Monti was officially sworn in as Prime Minister of Italy.