Scaling New Heights: A look into the GLT Summit 2024 in Catania, Sicily

5 minute read

This article was written by Vilok Avadhan, our newest Global Growth Specialist as he recounts his experience at the 2024 GLT Summit in Catania, Sicily.

The 180 Degrees Consulting Global Leadership Team (GLT) summit has become an increasingly global affair – originating from our inaugural summit in Istanbul in 2022, they have been organised worldwide for the past two years. From the UK to Australia, we have created summits which capture the indelible essence of 180DC. As a new joiner having been invited to Sicily after just two weeks in the GLT, I was curious to see what a summit would be like. In four short days, I came to realise that they are the perfect way to blend opportunities for professional growth with social connections that inspire and empower us to drive meaningful change across our organisation.

After much deliberation and months of planning logistics, itineraries and reflecting on the lack of Aperol at the last summit, the decision was made to host the 2024 GLT summit against the gorgeous backdrop of Catania, Italy in early June. Building upon our previous summits across a jam-packed weekend, we engaged in numerous workshops, team-building events and social gatherings. Before formally kicking off the summit, GLT members spent time exploring the beautiful scenery of Mount Etna and Taormina, which set the scene for some incredible experiences. 

A wholesome opening ceremony was conducted, where we had some exciting icebreakers (who knew some GLT members could speak 8 languages?!) and handed out some expertly designed merch (personalised lanyards are the way to a GLT member’s heart)! Running around Catania trying to find some Sicilian ceramics will be a core memory for many of us, as we not only bonded with novice and experienced GLT members but also had the chance to enjoy the sights of such a picturesque city, which in itself was a mix of new and old. It was great to see members from all over the world - from Peru to the UAE, making evident the ‘Global’ in ‘Global Leadership Team’! After the introductions and scavenger hunts, we settled down for an exciting weekend of learning, growth and making unforgettable memories

Our first workshop, led by the duo of Ilona Sediha and Tara Hermez from Strategy& Middle East, delved into the crucial aspects of social impact measurement and storytelling. The session was transformative, offering insights into improving our methods of measuring social impact and creating more effective communication pathways through our social media channels. Social impact measurement is crucial to our operations yet often difficult to accomplish. However, both speakers provided us with tailored examples to illustrate the methodology behind creating an accurate picture of the difference we make as an organisation. A significant learning was the Theory of Change framework, which enabled us to think about the way we present ourselves as the world’s largest student-run consultancy.

The effects were immediate; it spurred the idea for the “change makers” series, where our marketing team sat down with our accomplished speakers to share their greatest strengths which fostered success in their respective fields, whether in social impact, storytelling or culture improvement. 

The second workshop of the day was hosted by Kam Taj, a leadership coach and corporate trainer. He encouraged us to reflect deeply on our values and how they intersect with our work in social impact; as a new joiner, it was as much a moment of vulnerability and togetherness, as it was a unique opportunity to learn from others and show gratitude for those around us. Although difficult and uncomfortable at times, Kam compassionately encouraged us to collaborate and discuss our thoughts; by aligning our values with those of 180DC, we not only reinforce our commitment to the organisation but also foster a stronger, more cohesive GLT. To punctuate his adherence to his own principles, Kam blew us all away by calling on all of us one by one, remembering the names of more than 30 people despite having met us less than 24 hours ago.

Our final workshop of the day was hosted by our very own incoming CEO Chris Garner, EMEA Operations Team Lead Nikolaus Stern, and People & Culture veteran Florence Duval. They led a creative workshop to devise new ideas for 180DC based on our identity and structure. By leaning on experiences from GLT members who began in branches to those who came to the organisation fresh, we explored a variety of novel pathways to change our operations and continue refining our processes.

Many times over the weekend, both Kam and our guests from Strategy& ME pointed out that our working culture was among the best they’d ever seen. They couldn’t believe that a group of young students and professionals put so much time and energy into their volunteering. This encouraged us to pay attention to all the instances where we built a sense of community through our own initiative, and we didn’t have to look hard. Our post-workshop agenda involved a surprise sendoff for Nick Charinos, our outgoing CEO, who after 9 years at 180DC, is moving to our board of directors (read his reflections here!). As with anything 180DC related, we went all out, with a tribute video and some inspiring reflections about Nick’s impact on all of us; however, emotions turned from sadness to jubilation as we welcomed Chris Garner as our new CEO. We cannot wait to see where 180DC will go with Chris at the helm, and we’re excited to see him forge his own vision for our organisation. 

Nick concluded dinner by giving a heartfelt speech where he highlighted a poignant memory of each of the 32 members in attendance; marking his true compassion and keenness to know every member of the GLT personally - from 180DC veterans to new joiners like myself. It was a beautiful way to end a wonderful summit experience.

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We’d like to thank Strategy& ME for sponsoring this summit and providing us with an opportunity to connect with each other in person, especially Ilona and Tara who were incredibly supportive of our journey. We look forward to building our partnership beyond the summit and accomplishing wonders together. We’re also incredibly grateful to Kam for enabling us to connect on a deeper level, and providing us with a new framework to consider our values, both personally and on an organisational level. Finally, we cannot forget our incredible summit planning committee, Florence, Niko, Alexandra and Alessandra, for whom this event was a labour of love. We are grateful for the time they dedicated to creating an unforgettable summit, and our goal is to include even more of our wonderful GLT members from afar in our next one!

The GLT journey is aptly reflected in the hike up Mount Etna. Despite trials and tribulations, steep inclines and no clear path laid out ahead of us, we are marvelling at the view from the journey so far, but are excited to keep climbing upwards. We’re turning good organisations into great ones, starting from within, and summits are the perfect way to kick off a new era at 180 Degrees Consulting. We’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds, and we cannot wait to get started.