Name: Elena Scolaro
Nationality: Italian / Swiss resident
Highest Academic Degree: Master’s Degree in Economics and HR Management
Institution / University: Modena and Reggio Emilia University
Professional Career
Elena Scolaro has over 15 years of professional experience in Human Resources within multinational corporations in the food and automotive sectors. She has held senior roles in HR Business Partnering and Learning & Development, most recently serving as Head of Learning & Development at Barilla, where she led leadership development programs, cultural transformation initiatives, and large-scale training interventions. Since July 2025, she has been working independently in Switzerland as a Learning & Development advisor and executive coach (ICF certified), supporting organizations and professionals through training design, facilitation, and coaching engagements.
Research Interest
Her research interests focus on the intersection of leadership development, human-centered organizational design, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on coaching and mentoring practices. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies reshape trust, relational dynamics, and the role of human expertise in professional growth and organizational transformation.
Research Specialty
Elena’s research explores AI-augmented coaching and mentoring, with particular attention to how hybrid human–AI systems can sustain psychological safety, presence, and motivation. She is especially interested in the evolving role of managers as trust enablers in AI-supported development systems, and in the conditions under which AI can ethically and effectively contribute to human growth.
Statement of Motivation for a DBA
My motivation to pursue a DBA stems from the need to connect professional practice with structured academic inquiry. Having worked for many years in Human Resources and Learning & Development, I have observed first-hand the opportunities and risks associated with the integration of artificial intelligence into coaching and mentoring. What motivates me is not a celebration of technology, but a critical investigation of how AI can be used in ways that preserve the relational depth, trust, and presence essential to human development.
The DBA offers the opportunity to move beyond anecdotal experience and to build evidence-based frameworks that can inform both scholarly debate and managerial practice. My aim is to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how organizations can navigate technological transformation without losing sight of the human dimension. Rather than a radical shift in direction, this doctorate represents a continuation of my professional path—an opportunity to examine, with academic rigor, the same questions I have been addressing as a practitioner.
