Sales Management in Practice: Beyond the Transaction

Why join us?

In today’s business landscape, sales is no longer just about "closing the deal." It has evolved into a strategic engine that drives customer engagement, fuels innovation, and shapes Go-To-Market success. This series offers a unique opportunity to look "behind the curtain" of high-level commercial management.

By joining this comprehensive 5-session seminar series, you will:

• Engage with a global professional network: over the course of five meetings, you will connect with and learn directly from distinguished Unibo Alumni and international guests. These experts bring years of experience managing complex commercial operations at global giants like Amazon, Sky, and P&G, as well as fast-scaling startups.
• Decode complex decision-making: move beyond the surface of simple success stories. You will gain a deep understanding of the "how" and "why" behind the critical trade-offs that market leaders face every day, from navigating saturated B2C markets to scaling B2B operations across diverse cultural and regulatory landscapes.
• Bridge theory and practice: every session is designed to translate academic frameworks into actionable business insights. Whether you are a student looking to enter the field or a professional seeking to sharpen your strategy, you will gain a structured perspective on the evolving sales leadership role.
• Earn an official Open Badge: highlighting your commitment to professional development, we offer an official recognition of your skills. The Open Badge will be awarded to all participants who attend at least 4 out of the 5 sessions in their entirety. 
  

Moderator: each session will be hosted by Giacomo Bonazzi, Alumnus of the University of Bologna and Senior Sales Strategy Manager at Sunrise.

 

Who is it for?

These events are exclusively reserved for members of the Almae Matris Alumni Association. Not a member yet? Join our community for free by registering on the AMA Community social platform.  

Once you are member, you must first log in to the AMA platform using your credentials, and then fill out the registration form on the dedicated page within the AMA Events channel. 

Each session will be held in English.

 

How to participate

All sessions will be held online via Microsoft Teams. The Teams connection link will be sent to the email address provided in the form a few hours before each event. 

There is a single registration form for the entire series. Please note that each session will have a different Teams link, which will be sent to you throughout the course of the seminar cycle prior to each meeting.

 

Ready to start? Scroll down to find the program.

 

Support the Alumni Community: your contribution is vital in helping us offer these events for free. Please consider making a donation here. Being part of a community means being part of a great family.

Program and Streams

Stream 1: B2B – Established Markets

Thursday, March 19th | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (CET)

In this stream, we will dive into the complexities of mature B2B markets, tackling the challenges of navigating extended sales cycles and negotiations involving multiple stakeholders. The goal is to provide students with the tools to clearly distinguish between price-based selling and building value-driven relationships. The session will focus on analyzing decision-making trade-offs and the managerial skills required to lead commercial operations in consolidated environments.

Speakers:

• Enrico Armilli | Senior Sales Manager, Head of Industrials – Amazon Business
• Gaetano Castellucci | Senior Director, Global Sales Strategy & Operations – Veeva Systems
• Gianluca Venturi | Global Sr. Tech Business Development Manager for Alexa – Amazon

Stream 2: B2C – Established Markets 

Tuesday, April 14th | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM (CET)

The second session will explore the dynamics of the B2C sector in saturated markets, where the primary challenge lies in effectively balancing physical and digital touchpoints. Moving beyond simple transactional logic, the seminar will present the sales function as a strategic lever to elevate Customer Experience (CX). The focus will be on monitoring the customer journey, analyzing how every interaction with a potential client can generate real value for the final consumer.

Speakers:

• Giovanni Saccà | Head of Commerce – Casinetto
• Chiara Chiodarelli | Marketing Director – Procter & Gamble
• Lorenzo Foglia | NOW TV Managing Director – Sky Italia
• Marco Michelucci | Senior Sales Account Manager – Amazon

Stream 3: International Markets & Expansion 

Tuesday, April 21st | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (CET)

This module will address the critical challenges of business expansion within diverse geographical contexts characterized by varying cultural and regulatory barriers. The educational objective is to understand how the Sales function serves as a vital interface between global corporate strategy and tactical execution in local markets. We will focus on strategic decisions regarding Go-To-Market channels, evaluating the advantages of direct versus indirect models on an international scale.

Speakers:

• Alberto Maria Lucchi | Senior Director, Commercial, Marketing & Innovation EMEA – Marmon Foodservice Technologies
• Mirko Tassinari | Asia Pacific Sales Manager – IMA Group
• Antonio Di Berardino | General Manager Italy – Dojo

Stream 4: New Business & Startups

Tuesday, April 28th | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM (CET)

The final thematic stream will analyze the role of sales within the startup ecosystem, where the challenge is to validate a business model while the product itself is still evolving. Selling will be interpreted not only as a source of revenue but as a fundamental cognitive function to test the sustainability of the entrepreneurial project. The focus will be on omnichannel integration and the necessity of maintaining brand and service consistency from the very first stages of growth.

Speakers:

• Daniele Graverini | Head of Italy & Iberia – Trusted Shops
• Davide Macchi | Co-founder & CEO – Due' Cucina
• Lorenzo Viscanti | Founder – Mapendo

Stream 5: Career Orientation

Tuesday, May 5th | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM (CET)

The final session of the series is dedicated to synthesizing the multidimensional framework adopted throughout the program. We will analyze the key decision-making trade-offs that emerged across different business contexts to offer a structured reflection on the skills and mindsets required for future Sales Leaders. This will be a pivotal orientation session, aimed at bridging the technical content discussed with concrete career prospects in the world of sales and commercial management.

A seminar series organized by the Almae Matris Alumni Association and the DISA - Department of Management of the University of Bologna.