Salvatore Caramano, a representative from Vodafone, came to educate Master of Science in International Management (MSIM) students about the impacts of their transformative shift from a standard approach to a more digital-focused strategy. As a Vodafone salesman, Caramano discussed the new technologies that are facilitating this transition. This collaboration was organized by the Division of Business and Economics as a way to support its graduate students by enriching their education with real industry professionals.
In his guest lecture, Caramano highlighted Vodafone's various efforts in assisting Public Administrations in their digital transformation journey, particularly through applications involving IoT (Internet-of-Things), Telemedicine, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR). He shared that Vodafone enables remote patient enrollment in hospitals via digital services and devices that monitor vital health statistics. These devices not only track health concerns but also communicate updates to patients and their healthcare providers. Furthermore, AR and VR are being used in educational settings and tourism. Vodafone's AR programs and software, developed particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, are designed to extend learning environments beyond traditional settings. By sharing the diverse range of services that Vodafone offers, the MSIM students were able to have a more holistic view of the Telecommunications industry and the numerous job possibilities within it. 
As with all leading companies, there are always challenges to manage. Caramano chose to share these with the students to acknowledge how it is important to be prepared for prosperous and difficult moments when working with a large company. For Vodafone these moments for innovation fell within cybersecurity, data privacy, and the digital divide—the latter being their foremost concern, as many consumers lack the infrastructure and economic means to access these services. Caramano brilliantly demonstrated how leaders acknowledge their difficulties and work to overcome them by leveraging the skills of their team and integrating new minds to find solutions.
In a concluding interview conducted by Alexandria Fraser and Samantha Elam, Salvatore Caramano emphasized the importance of exposing graduate students to digital transformation, given its central role in the professional community. He highlighted the crucial need to engage new hires in this digital shift, as they are pivotal to the future of the industry. Franklin University Switzerland supports this mission by incorporating these topics into its curriculum and enriching students' understanding through interactions with industry leaders like Vodafone’s Salvatore Caramano.
Written by Alexandria Fraser, George Whittaker Curry, Samantha Elam, and Jesse Fioranelli Jr.