Occasionally a wave bucks the phone over. “Sorry about that,” says Marcelo Miniati. “I’m on the boat right now as we speak.” He smiles with his whole face.
“This was the idea, you know. To work hard so that one day we can live the dream. That’s why my wife Estefi and I named our sailing hospitality business Navegando Sueños. It means sailing dreams. This was our first year in business and we were able to cover our expenses. That’s not usually how the first year goes. And now we are nearly all booked out for next year. It’s really incredible. What can I say? It’s the dream.”
There’s something adventurous, yet meticulous about Marcelo. Twenty-one years since completing his MBA at IMD, he has kept the books or steered the strategy for wine producers, electronics distributers, and not-for-profits all over Argentina. Even before packing everything up and relocating to Italy, he spent two years perfecting his cooking abilities for guests with a trained chef back in Buenos Aires.
But hunger and discipline are not always enough to make dreams a reality. “I remember that I had saved everything that I needed for the MBA. My wife and I were looking at options for an MBA, and we really liked the fact that IMD offered a 12-month program. Taking more time away from my family and career would be difficult.” And that all seemed to go according to plan until, in late 2001, Argentina defaulted on its public debt, local currency devaluation soared, and half of Marcelo’s hard-earned savings and investments were wiped out overnight.
“I just don’t know how I could have done it without the Staton scholarship. It just would not have been possible,” he says softly.
When asked about his favorite memories at IMD, Marcelo lights up again. “Of course, I remember my International Consulting Project (ICP) at IMD. Our team went to the Netherlands and worked alongside Norfolkline Ferries.” It was the team experience that he remembers best. “They were a great group.” Upon graduation, he and another classmate stuck together to form a microfinance business. It had originally been a class start-up project with IMD Professor Benoit Leleux, and with the help of friends, family, and former colleagues, they brought it to life in Argentina.
Years passed, and the lessons on leadership at IMD guided Marcelo throughout his career. They were most evident when he had to navigate the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic as the Executive Director at Fundación Cimientos. The pandemic had closed all the schools in Argentina and neighboring countries where the education nonprofit operated. Staff feared for their jobs in the wake of office closures, and some of the country’s most underprivileged students were cut off from an education. “You work with families who maybe have one cell phone per family. The school is closed, and the teacher can only send homework by email. So, what do you do? It was one of the biggest challenges of my career. I reminded our staff of mentors that it is these times when we are needed the most, that they have nothing to fear, and that we must work together to empower each other for the benefit of these children.” Reflecting on that period, Marcelo added, “You really have to show people that you believe in them and that you have their interests in mind.”
Taking a moment to understand oneself and others is something Marcelo does before making any bold moves. It was a practice he picked up at IMD. He recalls that, as IMD students, they were taught to looking at their personal skills, at market demands, the interests of others, and at their own strengths and weaknesses to align themselves before taking the next step, whatever that might be.
Marcelo leans back a bit and looks into the distance. “Education can be mechanical,” he explains. “It can get you from one place to another with some security or certainty. But what I see is lacking in education in Latin America, and in many places globally, is a reflection about why you are doing something. So many people start in one place, get a degree, do the job and make the money, without ever asking themselves, ‘Why?’ Does it really align with their values, or their skills? Or is it just what the market tells them to do? I learned how to do this at IMD, and it’s something that the Fundación Cimientos mentors brought to their students. It’s a habit that helps you be bold, original, and happy.”
Marcelo is a successful businessman in private and not-for-profit sectors, active in finance, consumer products, and education services, but you won’t hear him describe himself that way. “I try to listen. I think that is one of the things that IMD prepares you for. To be an empathetic leader.” For Marcelo, the world needs more of them. “Of course, to be a great leader you cannot serve only one group or interest, you have to think about the economy as a whole, but Latin America needs more business leaders with a sense of connection with the community…an ability to consider their interests.”
Marcelo was able to make an impact over the course of his fruitful career in Argentina. “I could go to IMD because someone gave me the resources, and that has inspired me to give back to others, to be generous,” says Marcelo.
Today, Marcelo and his wife reunite with IMD friends at every port of call. “There is something amazing about meeting people where they are, for who they are. Now, I can invite my old classmates aboard and cook them an authentic Argentinian asado,” he says proudly. “Be bold! Life is too short not to follow your dreams, and you owe it to yourself to discover just what it is you’re dreaming of.”
