Renzo Rosso, President and Founder of OTB group, the Italian luxury holding company, ha met le students and students of the Economics and Business Management courses of theLuiss Guido Carli University. The creative Venetian entrepreneur brought his professional and life testimony, inviting the kids to believe in their abilities.
Red: Don't be afraid to fall, mistakes help
Rosso encouraged the students not to stop believing in their talents, emphasizing how even mistakes can help to improve: "To be happy, one must also suffer, it is it is essential to devote oneself with commitment to study and learning paths, but remember that Out of failure, opportunities can arise that turn into something great”. Rosso then underlined the value of mistakes: “You need to know how to make mistakes in order to adopt different perspectives. It's needed to build antibodies and build the foundations of experience. Don't be afraid to fall, because the errors help to understand how to be able to get up and improve. Make your mistakes, be happy and be hungry."
Red: the birth of Diesel and his vision
During the meeting, Rosso told the Diesel's birth and of the OTB Group by sharing with the students his business vision, which is clearly Olivetti-style: “Today I'm here three themes that companies need to consider: technology, sustainability and social commitment. A brand without these elements will not be loved and appreciated by the new generations, these elements must become part of a new way of managing companies". An essential element for entrepreneurial choices remains the consumer to which attention must always be paid “When we prepare the new collection we don't only look at the results of the previous one, but also at the point of view and experience of those who are in direct contact with the customer. This gives us the thermometer of the direction in which consumer preferences are going".
The importance of the circular economy
On the topic of sustainability, the entrepreneur said: “I believe in the circular economy. A company like mine that produces, sells and creates a result must also give back to the community, have a social impact. This is what the OTB Foundation is based on, born from the teaching and values that my father passed on to me. All our projects are carried out without administrative costs, every euro donated contributes to helping people. Today the foundation works on many activities, in particular it deals with women's empowerment and initiatives against gender-based violence."
Support for female leadership
Rosso also made a commitment to the support of female leadership. The OTB Foundation, has in fact financed 55 scholarships dedicated to female students deserving, for a total value of 550.000 euros. Five Italian universities involved, including Luiss Guido Carli. The objective of these Scholarships is to provide a long-term project to contribute to train a new generation of women, ready to lead the country and companies. This program was strongly desired by its Vice-President Ariadne Alessi.
The meeting was introduced by the Director General of the University, John Lo Storto, and moderated by the Pro-Rector for Organization and Faculty, Luca Giustiniano.
What is the OTB Group
OTB (acronym for “Only The Brave”) is an enclosing holding company fashion brands international including Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, Marni and Viktor&Rolf. The Group also controls the companies Staff International and Brave Kid and has a stake in the American brand Amiri. It has over 6.000 employees.
