Serena Ricci, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)

Curated by VSM Alumni, September 2025

Looking at your professional journey, what were the key steps after your degree in Management at Ca’ Foscari that led you to QS?

I graduated in July 2015 in Business Administration – Economics & Management with a clear idea of building a profile “spendable” abroad: courses in English, a solid quantitative base, and plenty of practice in communication.
The key steps that led me to QS, in fact, started well before graduation—and are the main reason I quickly found a job. The University’s Internship & Placement Office was a constant point of reference in building my professional profile from the very first years at Ca’ Foscari. Already in summer 2014 I had completed an internship in London in International Marketing at Raglan International, a start-up active in the luxury services & real estate sector. That was the first “UK stamp” on my CV and, above all, the test that confirmed I wanted to grow in an international environment.
In May 2015, while preparing my thesis, I took part in Let’s Brand, a workshop on personal branding, social media, and web reputation, which brought me closer to the world of branding. Later, I was selected for the “Brand Manager Specialist” program, organized in collaboration with the Veneto Region. This course, which combined classroom training with 400+ hours of internship at one of the partner companies, became my point of contact with the company I still work for today: QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
At QS, I joined the Communication & PR team working on the second edition of the Wharton–QS Reimagine Education Awards & Conference. It was a baptism by fire: brand, storytelling, media relations, CRM, community building, and event delivery, helping it grow over the years from 300 to 900–1000 delegates (in December 2025, it will reach its 12th edition). That experience gave me two key lessons: the first is ownership—when you build something end-to-end you learn more in one year than in three hyper-specialized roles; the second is that even in communication you must speak the language of data: leads generated, conversion rates, retention of partners and participants.
From there, the transition was natural: I took on the role of Product Marketing Manager for the thought leadership portfolio (conferences and publications), defining positioning, messaging, and go-to-market, and then moved into my current role as Growth Marketing Manager, where I combine narrative, channels, and continuous experimentation on funnels, pricing/packaging, and partnerships. Looking back, the key steps were three: choosing “T-shaped” roles (depth in marketing, curiosity for product and sales), asking for real responsibilities very early, and tying every activity to a metric understandable to the business.

Which skills or attitudes, developed during your years of study in Venice, helped you the most to position yourself as an international professional?

Ca’ Foscari trained me in something that is pure gold in international marketing: applied data literacy. Statistics, quantitative methods, and accounting taught me to formulate hypotheses, test them, and make decisions. In practice: I know how to read a funnel, design a sensible A/B test, and explain why I choose one variant by aligning it with goals and constraints.
To this, I add clear writing in cross-cultural contexts: courses in English and mixed classes forced me to simplify without dumbing down—very useful when talking to rectors, product managers, and partners across time zones. Finally, university life—associations, projects, deadlines—gave me project management with limited resources: sharp priorities, a few well-executed deliverables, and the ability to “ship” by a given date.
If I think about the tools I would recommend today to those who want to accelerate: a solid base in Excel/Sheets (pivot and XLOOKUP), some basics of SQL and GA4 so as not to depend on others, familiarity with a CRM like HubSpot or Salesforce to really understand what happens to generated demand, and principles of on-page SEO/AEO and copywriting oriented to segments (Jobs-to-Be-Done helps a lot). Finally, AI is a multiplier: I use it for preliminary research, outlines, content quality checks, and as a creative sparring partner—but I always verify sources, numbers, and consistency with the brand.

In your opinion, what makes a business school truly competitive and attractive at a global level?

It partly depends on the school’s identity and differentiation strategy, but in most cases competitiveness is measured by the actual value generated for the student. Elements that characterize a truly competitive and international business school include: a welcoming environment for international students combined with a genuine commitment to diversity; affordability—or at least the perception of affordability—through sustainable fees, scholarships, and support measures; academic rigor that combines theory and practice; strong partnerships with desirable employers; robust employment outcomes and compelling career trajectories for graduates; and a reputation based on a positive student culture and genuinely engaged faculty and staff.

In your work you have a privileged view of training trends: what are the main challenges and opportunities you see for business schools in the coming years?

There is a wealth of research on what worries and drives today’s business school deans. The trends and challenges that experts such as my colleague Michelle Wieser (GME Proposition Lead) observe are, in reality, opportunities for schools that choose to address them proactively.
The first is the erosion of the perceived value of the degree: to attract students, schools must highlight the ROI of programs, otherwise they risk losing them to other academic paths or alternative learning models.
The second is declining enrollment in some markets, due to demographics and changing preferences, compounded by geopolitical variables: staying competitive means launching the right programs and credentials in the right formats.
Third: the curriculum. The pace of technological innovation and the evolution of employer demand require integrating technology and keeping content updated, as well as adopting internal processes that allow rapid changes to learning outcomes and syllabi.
Fourth: reputation. In a global market, managing it actively is crucial: those who want to attract international students must know how to interpret and communicate third-party evaluations of their quality, but also clearly position what makes the school unique.
Eventually, social impact and sustainability: these are central issues for both students and companies. Schools that know how to weave ESG into their programs and courses will be perceived as more relevant and impactful.

From QS’s point of view, how important is the role of the alumni community in the growth and positioning of a business school like VSM?

The alumni community is essential for the growth, positioning, and vitality of a business school. Alumni are often the first ambassadors of programs and represent a living bridge between the school, prospective students, and employers.
On the recruitment front, their involvement is crucial for enrollment stability and growth: they can refer candidates, conduct admissions interviews, serve as speakers or panelists at events, and share their experiences—especially in terms of career advancement—through blogs, social media, and other outreach, generating trust among prospects.
In mentoring and student support, alumni’s professional experience is invaluable capital: they can act as individual or group mentors, guest speakers in class, judges of presentations, or even promoters of “live” case studies, bringing real-world problems into the classroom and making learning more experiential.
On the employment side, alumni facilitate internships and placements, provide career coaching, host company visits, and conduct mock interviews; all of this contributes to better-prepared students and stronger employment outcomes, further enhancing the school’s reputation.
Finally, continuing education also involves alumni: post-graduate certificates, executive education, and professional development programs for more senior profiles can bring them back into the classroom and open up new revenue streams. Whatever the engagement strategy, it is worth remembering that the relationship is bidirectional: alumni support the school, but the school must also support the alumni—with career coaching, free workshops, or seminars—thus fueling a virtuous cycle of shared value.

What advice would you give to a VSM graduate who looks to the future with ambition but also some uncertainty?

The first piece of advice is to narrow the target: choose a precise junior role (e.g., product, content, or growth marketing), a sector, and—if possible—a compatible time zone. This clarity is not about “boxing yourself in,” but about giving coherence to your CV, LinkedIn, and conversations.
Next, I would suggest creating tangible proof of your value: in 6–8 weeks you can build a mini-portfolio with three real pieces, for example the audit of a university landing page with five priority fixes, a small growth experiment for a local association/SME (objective, hypothesis, execution, result), and a long-form piece of content with CTA (call to action) and UTM to measure performance. These artifacts count more than ten cover letters because they help recruiters imagine you “in the chair” from day one.
Then work on positioning and outreach. CV and LinkedIn profile must speak in terms of impact, not tasks: action, lever used, metric, or proof of result. The “Open to Work” setting must be applied surgically, and in the Featured section you should showcase your portfolio. At the same time, don’t limit yourself to applications: write to hiring managers and alumni with specific observations and a small gift of value. It’s the fastest way to turn silence into interviews.
When you get to the interview, prepare three STAR stories—success, mistake, constructive conflict—and a mini-presentation on “Your first 90 days on the team”: what you would measure, what quick wins you would try, how you would set up dashboards and experiment backlogs. It communicates execution, not just theory.
Finally, take care of logistics and mindset: you can start from adjacent roles (events, marketing operations, communication) if they offer fast learning and an international environment; the title of your first job matters less than the steepness of the curve. Dedicate 90 minutes a day to one technical skill and one communication skill, ask for feedback early (on drafts, not finished work), and remember to “put numbers into creative conversations.”
If I had to summarize: choose a global context, take ownership of something real, measure its impact, and tell the story well. It’s the most honest shortcut I know to getting started quickly—even abroad.

From Serena’s journey, one message clearly emerges: an international career is not the result of luck, but of deliberate choices, early responsibility, and the ability to measure and communicate impact. Her experience at QS confirms the importance today of hybrid skills—spanning data, communication, and project management—along with the capacity to adapt to the continuous transformation of higher education.
Her reflections, also enriched by insights from her colleague Michelle Wieser, remind us that the most competitive business schools are those able to combine academic rigor, accessibility, social impact, and a strong alumni network.
In a world where career paths are increasingly non-linear, Serena Ricci’s experience shows that the combination of international vision, ownership, and continuous learning remains the key to standing out and growing.