Love, silence and beauty will save the world

When you meet Oscar, you immediately fall under his charm. Almost 50 years old, he looks more like a rock star in his jeans and bracelets, than the top manager of a large Italian bank and the founder of a corporate university.

Thinker, lecturer, writer, author of the bestseller “The Time of New Heroes” (published by Mondadori in Italy and Spain), manager, author of social projects and Internationalist of the Year 2018 (the world's largest community of people, related to marketing). We met after his speech at the Campus Party, although I had to wait until dozens of enthusiastic students did a selfie and talked with him.

Oscar at Campus Party, photo © Evgeny Utkin

Usually I saw him in a suit when he performed, for example, at the World Business Forum. But he is so different in style, in different situations, but one always is: “Love, silence and beauty will save the world!”. This is his principle, which he tries to apply in life.

- Oscar, who are you?

- I am a man, an inhabitant of our beautiful planet, an Italian, a husband, the father of 5 children who tries to live with responsibility to humanity.

- What has changed in your life with fatherhood?

- It changed me a lot. It made me feel responsible, appreciate time, and take care of others. This was the first experiment, which I could apply to another people and the community. After all, humanity is one big family, where all are parents and children.

Oscar is father of five children, photo © oscardimontigny.it

- Yes, but it is not easy to get an estimate from humanity, especially at once. However, your children, who are probably the most severe judges, how do they evaluate you?

- A child is a mirror of your values. For a long time they will be the result of your actions and behavior. Whether you like it or not, parents can’t exclude themselves from the role of model for their children, because children look at you as a model of behavior, this is inherent by nature.

You can be completely absent - then this will be model of absent and eternally busy parent. Then your child goes out into the world, reacts to it, the world changes it, but your child is your reflection. The ways how he communicates with the world, also were laid by you, as a parent-model. I believe that children should be better than their parents...

- And how, are they better?

- Yes, they are much better than I am.

- What do you want to leave behind, what trace?

- I want to be remembered not for what I did or can do, but for how I was able to convey the intensity of feelings to people.

Presentation of a case study at the Codacons conference, photo © oscardimontigny

- What do you do in life, except work in a bank?

- I study, I study a lot, from those who have already lived a lot and created something qualitative. If they are still alive, then I try to meet them. For example, I talked with Tara Gandhi, Lech Walesa, but I especially remember the meeting with the Dalai Lama. I like places where you can learn something new. I love philosophy. I started the way of knowing myself, and this path led me to studying economics, philosophy and art. There are two areas - studying yourself and knowing where humanity has best manifested itself.

- How did you come to the bank Mediolanum? Did you find them or did they find you?

- The founder of the banking group, Ennio Doris called me in 1999. I worked in the educational programs of the bank and then I headed them. In 2009, I founded our corporate university Mediolanum Corporate University and then I became the director of marketing, communications and innovation. Now I do less with communication, I devote more time to innovation and sustainable development.

Oscar di Montigny, Director of “Innovation, Sustainability & Value Strategy” at Mediolanum Bank, photo WEB

- What does sustainability mean to you?

- Well, it's best to imagine a scales with bowls that are in balance. If you take something from one bowl, then the balance will be broken. If someone has a big advantage, then the other has lost it. And this is bad. We live in a difficult time, many wars, the world debt is much larger than world GDP, which is 325% of GDP. It is necessary to reconsider the attitude to the economy and to the planet in general. After all, only for the last 25 years, a miserly period for history, we have destroyed 10% of the planet's wild forests. We need to stop.

- But with such a great debt and with such an attitude to the planet, what decisions can be made for the world economy and the Earth?

- We need to start with ourselves. Forget to produce results by any means that will give a quick effect, during our life. We must forget to live the interests of a short time, our life, even 90 years. For example, the UAE has created a sovereign fund with a program for 400 years. Imagine - it's unusual for a person to think for 400 years ahead. The maximum, you think about your life, well, about your children and grandchildren, that is, for 100, a maximum of 150 years.

Oscar presents 7P INDEX, фото © oscardimontigny

- Except your work in the bank, what else do you do?

- I teach at the Milan State University, a 30 hours seminar "Economics 0.0", also I read many lectures around the world.

- Is this what you wrote about in your book “The Time of New Heroes”?

- Yes. However, "Economy 0.0" is not a new economy, and not a return to the past centuries. I try to combine economic knowledge with philosophy, art and science. We live in a century of merging technology and human relations. Moreover, the focus should be on the Human, on his development. You need to be able to do good things and do it well, to love. After all, if you want, even love can be regarded as an economic act.

- Why?

- I'll explain. I believe that humanity among its talents has a spirit for good. And a person has a need both to love and be loved. If we translate this into economic terms demand-offer, this market is huge. When a person seeks love (demand), he has a huge offer. But we need to understand how to direct our daily actions on love to others. After all, only then giving, you will get more. And the ROI will be high, both in quantity and quality. However, read my book, if you do not like it, I'll refund your money.

Evgeny Utkin (left) and Oscar di Montigny (right), photo © Evgeny Utkin

- So, what is your sustainability?

- I live like a Russian doll, I try to live one life in another. I try to learn, transfer my knowledge to students. However, much of what I'm learning is useful to my company. In addition, it returns a lot in terms of reputation and brand values. It is clear that in some things I am a pioneer, and take a certain risk ... but so far it is justified.

- And what would you like to achieve?

-That I always do, but on a global scale.

- You performed in many countries, what about Russia?

- Not yet, but I would love to perform there.

Evgeny Utkin, Milan, Italy

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