Strong Participation

From 6 April to 8 May, the online programme FIA Stay Tuned, launched by the FIA University, brought together the Mobility and Sport pillars of the FIA with 260 participants from 73 FIA Member Organisations from 59 countries. Among the participating organisations, 35 were Mobility Members or Regions, 24 were Mobility and Sport Members, and 14 were Sport Members.

Combining academic training by ESADE Business School faculty and FIA Clubs’ experts with opportunities to discuss and share experience, the programme was comprised of 10 live online sessions dealing with topics such as ‘Innovation’, ‘Strategy Under Harsh Conditions’, ‘Leadership’ or ‘Effective Communication’. A series of Club interviews allowing them to share their experience responding to the COVID-19 crisis were also organised as well as a roundtable in Spanish for Latin American Clubs. Two sessions of the programme, dedicated to Clubs’ Innovation Projects, focused on the future and the necessity to foster creative thinking.

The FIA Stay Tuned Initiative at a Glance
 

• Session #1 - Getting the Ball Rolling on Innovation by ESADE Prof. Ivanka Visnjic

The session focused on how innovation can be used to thrive in the “next normal”.
 

• Session #2 - Club’s Innovation at NZAA by Peter Moxon, General Manager Club Operations

Peter Moxon told the story of NZAA and explained how they managed to turn a Club that was at the crossroads of sustainable viability more than 20 years ago into one of the country’s most trusted brands.
 

• Session #3 - Club’s Strategic Management in Covid-19 Times by Jorge F. Delgado, CEO RACE

Jorge F. Delgado shared insights on the strategic steps taken by RACE to respond to the COVID-19 crisis,which is both a health and economic crisis.
 

• Session #4 - Strategic Planning Under Harsh Conditions by ESADE Prof. Joaquin Cava

Prof. Cava invited participants to think and plan strategically in the light of the unprecedented combination of challenges raised by the COVID-19 crisis.
 

• Session #5 – Leading Self and Other in Crisis Times by ESADE Prof. Marc Correa

Reminding that every crisis provides opportunities, Prof. Correa highlighted the factors that should be taken into account in order to increase leadership capabilities in difficult times.
 

• Session #6 – Leadership in COVID-19 Times by Thierry Willemarck, FIA Deputy President for Automobile Mobility and Tourism

In an interview format, Thierry Willemarck shared insights on leadership and how to prepare for the future beyond the COVID-19 crisis. He reminded that leaders should both focus on activities that will add more value to the Club and show they are taking care of their team.
 

• Session #7 – Effective Communication – How to Generate Influence and Trust? By ESADE Prof. Katharine d’Amico

Prof. d’Amico explained why it is key to understand your audience and adapt the way you communicate in order to generate trust and engagement.
 

• Roundtable for Clubs from Latin America

The programme featured an entire session in Spanish dedicated to the challenges faced by the Clubs in the Latin American region.
 

• Clubs’ Innovation projects

Participating Clubs were invited to think about an innovation project related to the current crisis or as part of a mid- to long-term strategy. Volunteers received individual mentoring from ESADE Business School faculty throughout the programme to develop their initiative. After a first session dedicated to the definition of the projects, five Clubs (ACA Andorra, ACP Portugal, ATC Nigeria, FIB Iceland, TACPy Paraguay) were invited to pitch their ideas during the last session of the programme. The projects presented were diverse and included a road safety app reporting damaged road conditions, a Club online platform with new services and offers for its members, an app aiming to strengthen the links between the Club and its members, a project to promote and advocate for non-motorised transportation, and a plan to develop digital motor sport.