SETTING GOALS

Duncan Barry interviews Dario Silvestri, an entrepreneur and performance coach who has set his eyes on Malta and who believes our islands can easily become an education hub—and a College of Sciences project is in the offing from the looks of things.

DB Can you give us a brief about yourself, your line as a performance coach and any business ventures of yours?

DS I am involved in developing innovative models in academic training, developing investments in this sector and health services. As a coach, I work with CEOs of large companies and multinationals, and with the top players in Serie A and Premier League football, as well as with other elite athletes.

DB What is performance coaching? And which are the most successful stories you have been behind?

DS Performance coaching is a discipline, or better, a tool to understand how each of us functions, what are our goals and how to make the best use of our resources by unlocking the incredible potential that is in each of us. As this potential is often not used as much as it should. These could be outdated fears, dilemmas and predicaments, like moments in the past when we find the ability to be very critical of ourselves and turning them into real and concrete opportunities through significant decisions. There are many stories I could share but I need to respect the privacy and confidentiality of my clients. However, one client I think Malta could relate to is Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus’s captain, who I meet from time to time.

DB What drove you to come to Malta and try to push the island to become an education hub?

DS Malta is a place with a great history, and I am sure it has a great future ahead. Thanks to its multicultural and geographical position, it is a strategic location that has grown its appeal to an international audience. For many characteristics and for the willingness to innovate, I am sure that it will become an important hub for international academic education and conferences. It will be a place where innovation processes will start and where thousands of people will converge in the coming years.

DB How do you intend to prepare students for evolving markets, and which markets are you targeting in your training programme? Can you tell us more about your concept?

DS Too often in the world, it happens that academic education is far removed from practical training, from what is necessary for a world where changes are accelerating and markets are developing trends in which it is required to be prepared. However, this preparation must be able to meet the highest academic requirements with the most practical ones and close to market needs. For this reason, we will develop degree programmes that prepare students effectively and solidly, giving them knowledge, concrete skills and sharing values with them.

DB Are you working in conjunction with government or a local education/sport institution?

DS Since I've landed in Malta, I have found a very dynamic environment and have gradually got to know this country that I like and to which I am always excited to return. The government institutions have been attentive and supportive. In fact, I must thank them for welcoming me to this beautiful island and for the support they have shown me since. It has made a real difference in many ways.

DB Is it your intention to attract international students to come to Malta to participate in your training programme?

DS Of course, the development of the project foresees Malta as a centre of many activities where international students will converge. An important aspect will also be the digital and blended education, that will allow those who have not yet achieved their full academic qualifications, due to work commitments, to reach the necessary skills and preparation, and by preparing them to work in a rapidly evolving market and their need for functional adaptation.

DB Can you tell us about the ASOMI College of Sciences you founded?

DS ASOMI College of Science (ACS) is a licensed higher education institution founded in Malta and born from experience gained by my group internationally. ACS aims to develop a wide range of educational fields in specific niche markets. Our goal is not only to promote innovation within the educational sector but to provide practical solutions to areas of the market, developing the concept of global education.

My team and I are working with motivation and perseverance to have the project released to the public in spring 2021

DB Last October you received a prize from the Chamber of Deputies in Italy. Can you tell us what this prize is all about?

DS I spent most of my professional career developing an international network, taking and building opportunities. The award I received at the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) was recognition from Italian institutions for the work done in the field of innovation and development of the concept of "change" as an opportunity and not as a difficulty. I wrote a book on this subject, "The Power of Change", which has become a bestseller in Italy and will soon be launched on the international market.

DB When will official information on training programmes be released to the public?

DS My team and I are working with motivation and perseverance to have the project released to the public in spring 2021. We are enthusiastic about the work we have undertaken, the future opportunities as well as the incredible collaborators we have had the chance to work with and for the concrete support of the institutions. I am sure we are writing the first chapter of a new book together.

About Dario Silvestri — Born in Parma, Italy, and has lived for several years in the UK and Scandinavia, Dario founded a group of prominent companies, developing meaningful collaborations and building innovative models, which have allowed him to efficiently achieve results of continuous growth for the past 15 years. Among his successful businesses, international academic education is one of the most distinguished of the lot. Dario shares and provides his knowledge and the most effective tools to enable thousands to change their lives by helping them to achieve their own goals. He works in the field of professional sports with elite players, dominant athletes, and entrepreneurs who daily support the development of performance and results. He worked with top players from the Italian Serie A, the English Premier League and elite athletes of other disciplines. Besides, he coaches top company CEOs, many of whom are featured in Forbes. Dario is the author of the best-selling book ‘The Power of Change’ (Il Potere del Cambimento) and ‘Prepare your Mind for Success’ (Prepara la tua Mente per il Successo). Dario’s headquarters are in Turin, and his work is mainly based in Europe and the US.