Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi

Distinguished Professor, California Institute of Advanced Management (CIAM)

Adjunct Full Professor, Mc Donough School of Business, Georgetown University

Research Area：Leadership, business, management

Profile：With over 30 years of experience in the education, finance, and pharmaceutical industries, Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi has held leadership positions across the world, namely Switzerland, Australia, the United States, Fiji, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Vietnam, Ghana, and Pakistan. Prior to his academic career, Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi held consulting roles at Novartis, Roche, Credit Suisse, and UBS Bank in Switzerland.

Dr. Franco is an accomplished scholar with an extensive publication record. He has devised and executed major change initiatives, developed and implemented leadership development activities on a global scale, and taught residential and online courses at graduate, doctoral, and executive levels. He holds a full professorship in leadership with Georgetown University in Washington DC, a top-tier research university.

Having served as a first lieutenant in the Swiss Army Forces, he honorably retired in 2007 having attained the highest non-active-duty military rank in the Swiss Military. Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi is an active researcher and avid writer. He is the principal author of seven business-related books and editor of two leadership books. Dr. Franco’s scholarly portfolio includes more than 60 peer-reviewed research articles published in reputable international journals. He serves on several international boards and has been a judging panel member for the prestigious Australian Human Resources (HR) Awards.

Prof. Dr. Franco Gandolfi holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) by research from Southern Cross University, Australia. He also earned a Post-Doctorate Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University, an Ivy League University in the USA. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Commerce from the Swiss Institute of Commerce and Economics, Switzerland. Additionally, he completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology and Adult Education from the University of Sydney, Australia.

Speech Title: COVID - A pandemic causing unprecedented disruption and the path towards a new normal

Abstract: Unquestionably, the pandemic has caused an unprecedented health crisis. Yet, even before the outbreak of Covid-19, the world was confronting a learning crisis. According to the World Bank, we were already missing the mark to meet the Sustainable Development Goal - SDG 4, which calls for all countries to ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality education. With the spread of the virus, the education systems are now facing an entirely new crisis. According to UNESCO, more than 87% of the world’s student population – that is over 1.5 billion learners in 165 countries - have been affected by the temporary closure of schools. Not since World War II have so many countries seen educational institutions go into lockdown mode at around the same time and for the same reason. What will the path towards a new normal look like?

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