Leadership In Business: Meet The Master In Management Students Behind The ESCP Regatta

One of the most coveted events in the ESCP Business School calendar, the annual Regatta brings together more than 350 students, professors, and alumni on the idyllic Sicilian Island of Ortygia, Syracuse.

The event consists of three days of networking, sailing, and social activities, including a nightfall gala and a regatta race—all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea.

Behind the scenes of the 16th edition, a team of 22 Master in Management students work year-round to organize the event. From meeting with large corporations and local politicians, to handling marketing and financing, team members balances their responsibilities while studying across one of the six ESCP campuses, located in the business capitals of Europe.

BusinessBecause caught up with Lorenzo Cuomo and Alessandro Fusaro (pictured below), the president and project manager of this year’s Regatta, to hear about the extensive preparation involved, and how this experience has equipped them for the world of business.

Adopting the mindset of a CEO

While traditional internships provide essential insight into corporate operations, the Regatta takes this one step further by allowing students to step into senior leadership roles. Through the practical challenges of organizing every aspect of the Regatta, students develop critical business skills in a real-world context.

Managed as a small nonprofit, the team is structured into six divisions: booking, communication, events and logistics, finance, sponsors, and sailing. As president and project manager, Lorenzo and Alessandro oversee all facets of the event and set weekly objectives for the team.

“We provide the team with goals and tasks to make the Regatta financially sustainable, operationally effective, and safe for participants,” Alessandro explains.

Unlike your average CEOs, this year’s team balanced their work alongside full-time studies, projects, and internships. With students located at different ESCP campuses, this often meant managing teamwork remotely and across different schedules.

“Merging our studies with the Regatta was a great challenge in terms of timing and scheduling, but you end up developing a mindset similar to that of the CEO of a startup,” Alessandro explains.

“It's a tough job that sometimes comes with very late nights, but we love it. Being part of such a driven community has been an incredible experience,” Lorenzo adds.

Learning core business skills on the job

As the organizing team is made up exclusively of Master in Management students, joining the team early on can lead to rapid progression and skill development due to the program’s two-year cycle. This rapid turnover requires team members to embrace versatility and adapt to meet organizational needs.

“You pass from being a new member of the group to potentially becoming the president or the project manager, so it’s quite intense. You have to learn very quickly,” explains Alessandro.

Alessandro and Lorenzo were able to leverage the learnings of their Master in Management classes to pitch to stakeholders, adjusting their communication style to suit different business contexts.

From speaking with the president of Syracuse to negotiating with major corporations such as Red Bull and Peroni, different styles of communication are essential to forging mutually beneficial professional relationships.

“Speaking with each one of your stakeholders requires a different tone of voice. The way we communicate what the Regatta is and how it relates to each organization is completely different depending on whether we’re speaking to public administration or private sponsors,” says Alessandro.

© Antonella Spoto

Keeping sustainability and networking at the forefront

Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are increasingly important considerations for investors, stakeholders, and society at large. In the ESCP Regatta, sustainability is one of the five key pillars around which the event is conceptualized, along with networking, sport, education, and fun.

A highlight of the Regatta is its collaboration with the Italian environmental non-profit association, Legambiente. Nearly 100 participants took part in a beach clean-up to combat industrial pollution and contribute to the environmental restoration of the area.

A similar sustainability lens guides other aspects of the event, Alessandro explains: “We have tried to make every sponsor bring their products in sustainable packages—we are very determined to reduce waste as much as possible.” 

Networking opportunities are also integral to the event’s design. From candle-lit dinners to sailing excursions around the island, Regatta attendees build professional relationships in a relaxed setting.

For many MBA and master’s students in attendance, the event marks the end of their studies at ESCP and their transition into the workforce. A networking event on the first day provides an opportunity for students to meet industry professionals.

“We have a networking fair on the first day, which is designed to connect students with companies, some of which have open positions,” Alessandro adds.

© Antonella Spoto

A lesson in maximizing your business school experience

The ESCP Regatta is a prime example of how extracurricular activities can elevate your business school journey. It provides a unique platform to develop leadership skills, practical knowledge of business fundamentals, and a broad skillset—all highly sought-after qualities in today’s job market.

For others considering taking part in similar experiences, Lorenzo says he would recommend it to anyone. 

“Of course, it takes time and effort, but that’s the good part as well. It helps you develop a lot as a person and in business, giving you soft skills which you may miss in a purely academic setting.”

In a leadership role, students dive straight into the intricacies of business operations and learn to innovate under pressure, which makes for significant personal and professional development.

“I learned more in one year of doing the Regatta than in the six months I spent working at Amazon. Amazon was a great experience, but when you enter such a big organization, you feel you’re contributing less to company objectives. In the Regatta, we oversee and manage each aspect personally,” says Alessandro.

Whether that’s planning an international event or leading the marketing strategy of a student club, the principle remains the same: the opportunities to maximize your business acumen beyond the classroom are endless.