The CEMS Alumni Association (CAA) is the representative body of the global CEMS alumni community, the largest stakeholder group in the CEMS Global Alliance in Management Education. It is also the coordinative body of 200+ active CEMS alumni board member volunteers around the world.
Simon Steffen, CAA Vice President, opened the meeting and was joined by three fellow board members: Daniel Crossley, Global Alumni Community Engagement Chair, Thomas A.J. Verkooijen, Finance Chair and Treasurer, and Polina Lisovskaya, Student Representative. In addition, 16 local alumni chapters participated from around the globe with alumni from over 13 cohort years ranging from 1997 to 2021: Australia, Austria, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and Switzerland.
“I joined the CAA for the first time and all I can say is that I felt right at home. Meeting the LC representatives and sharing initiatives, learnings and thoughts got me thrilled to be more involved. Being a CEMS alumni for just over a year I am excited to see what CEMS stands for. CEMS is more than just an excellent education and mindset, it goes beyond. I now understand that it offers a lifelong journey and I am excited as to how our community will grow and develop.”
A variety of discussions were held regarding win-win benefits for the CEMS Alumni community, such as mentoring, local engagement, networking opportunities, thought leadership and entrepreneurship. CEMS Entrepreneurs also joined as a special guest, where Victor Tibo highlighted the need to continue entrepreneurial engagement among alumni as well as students. The CEMS Global Office Alumni Relations team also presented upcoming CEMS initiatives concerning alumni from community engagement to sustainability efforts.
Another item on the agenda addressed the CAA budget and funding led by Thomas A.J. Verkooijen. With the intention to offer more opportunities for CEMS Alumni, the CAA set up a donations fund in January 2021. The donations are up and coming and continue to accrue funds, however the CAA addressed the need to develop and adapt the donations strategy to incorporate current trends and needs of the alumni with a particular focus on local community development.
The session concluded with a workshop led by Daniel Crossley, where alumni participants were able to put into a place a roadmap of future alumni events. LC Denmark co-president, Daniel Parlak, shared his experience locally and how engagement in Copenhagen is currently thriving.
“[We] have created a structured board, which arranges professional and social activities for CEMS Alumni in Copenhagen following an annual calendar to strengthen engagement between students and alumni.”
All in all, the CAA aspires to offer concrete support and opportunities for CEMS alumni at all stages of their career. The CEMS experience does not stop after graduation. Keep an eye out on the CEMS Alumni platform for future events from the CEMS Alumni Association and Local Chapters at https://www.cemsalumni.net/events.
If you are a CEMS alumni and are interested in getting involved with the CAA board or Local Chapter in your area, please reach out to alumni@cems.org. They would be happy to hear from you.
