JONGE ALUMNI ONDERNEMERS - Vlerick Alumni

lifelong process. If I can give you one piece of advice,
go and search for a job where you can continue learning
what you would like to learn. Prosperity and
success will follow as a result of that’, he said. Jean-
Luc Deleersnyder also emphasized the importance of
networking in a career, reminding that this had been
one of the objectives of Andries Vlerick founding the
Vlerick School: ‘It was part of the vision of the late
professor Vlerick that -for a region to prosper-
Jean-Luc Deleersnyder: ‘It was part of the
vision of the late professor Vlerick
that -for a region to prosper- it needed
two ingredients: a top class management
school as well as a closely knit network
representing the economic tissue of our
society. The Vlerick Alumni Association has
built that network over the years,
now representing and bringing together
more than 10,000 alumni worldwide.’
it needed two ingredients: a top class management
school as well as a closely knit network representing
the economic tissue of our society.’ He reminded that
the Vlerick Alumni network already counted more
than 10.000 alumni and that it was an excellent
means of networking. The Chairman of the Vlerick
Alumni addressed the international students in particular,
asking them to stay connected to the School
and the Alumni organization. He emphasized that
internationalization was one of the key priorities for
the alumni and that he was hoping for an international
growth of the Alumni network.
Traditionally, Louis Verbeke, chairman of the Vlerick
Leuven Gent Management School had the last word
during the ceremony. He wished all fresh graduates
success, happiness, courage, and enthusiasm, inevitably
quoting Churchill: ‘Success is the ability to go from
failure to failure without losing one’s enthusiasm.
I wish you lots of its … lots of enthusiasm I mean.’
He also wished the students money to spend wisely,
reminding the famous quote of Woody Allen ‘that
money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.’
He concluded his speech by thanking the academic
and other staff for another wonderful year. The
graduation ceremony itself was concluded - noblesse
oblige - by the European hymn, the ‘Ode to the Joy’ of
Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Alumni Ambassadors
During the Graduation Ceremony, the Vlerick alumni
organization emphasized once more her willingness
to stay connected with every single alumnus, over
time and across borders. Since graduating at Vlerick is
nothing but the start of a lifetime partnership with a
community of more than 10.000 fellow alumni worldwide,
Jean-Luc Deleersnyder seized the opportunity to
honor the best ‘Vlerick Young Alumni Ambassadors’
of the different programs. These MBA and Master
students had been elected by their fellow students,
first of all because they already proved during the academic
year that they were able of taking their class in
tow for activities and events. In addition, more future
oriented, they are expected to have the best capability
for keeping their class groups together, for organizing
class reunions and for building bridges between class
fellows, the school and the alumni. The seven Vlerick
Young Alumni Ambassadors are: The ambassadors
receive for their commitment free membership of
the Vlerick Leuven Gent Alumni association for the
five coming years. This ‘mandate’ should help them to
get the young graduates integrated into the Vlerick
network.
Dominique Soetaert
Roland Van Dierdonck: ‘Our School believes in the broader responsibility of corporations and their managers. As a matter of fact the school is adapting its mission
statement right now to make this very clear. CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility, is hopefully for all of you students who graduate today not an idle word.’
Magazine Alumni Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, October 2005 13