Boris Spremo - COTRUGLI

“What was once learned knowledge, became intuition, and what was intuition became second nature.”

10 years ago, when I was a young, shy IT consultant, I knew that I understood technology well, but I also realized that I didn’t recognize its value to the society and its many businesses. With that in mind, I applied for a scholarship for the COTRUGLI MBA program, and I found myself among young, smart people from different countries who, for the most part, had no experience with technology. I had something to bring to the table, and so did they. I learned about business, but – more importantly – I learned how to communicate with businesspeople, and how to convey the value of what I did. We worked hard together, we travelled, and we partied. Friendships formed, and many persisted. A venture, albeit a short-lived one, was started with a couple of colleagues. All in all, it was a wonderful time, and I left with a trove of new, exciting knowledge that complemented my analytical skills well.

For a few years, I went back to technology: I worked on large projects for big multinationals. I moved countries and started a small consultancy in London. I learned about fintech and took a senior innovation role at a top-tier bank, where I worked with clients and senior stakeholders to find ways to transform global capital markets. Last year, I helped start a serious blockchain venture with well-known investors.

Throughout all this time, I didn’t realize how much the MBA prepared me for my professional path. What was once learned knowledge, became intuition, and what was intuition became second nature. Slipping into new roles and juggling different disciplines was challenging, but I always knew just enough to carry on. My time with COTRUGLI was deeply, yet very quietly – almost subconsciously – transformational. Some of my ex-colleagues are now close friends and trusted advisors, and I make every opportunity to see them. And I have recently brought back my old COTRUGLI folders from Croatia, because I realized that there are some problems that I don’t yet know how to solve.