Linkontro 2024 program
Discover the topics and speakers who will accompany us in the thirty-ninth edition!
Linkontro 2023
Networking Activities
The conference program is accompanied by a series of networking and professional activities, open to all participants.
Networking Activities
Linkontro offers several networking activities, allowing participants to connect, exchange ideas and build relationships that can lead to new partnerships and business opportunities, as well as providing a moment of fun and entertainment in the beautiful setting of Forte Village.
Networking activities include sporting activities (such as padel, tennis, running, karting, five-a-side football, test drives and golf), aperitifs and meals, held in various locations around the resort, and evening shows, to round off the days.
Padel tournament
Five-a-side football
Drive Experience
Gymnastics
Karting
Tennis tournament
Pilates & stretching
Running
Improve your wellness
Dinners
Cocktails
Night shows
Niccolò Beati
Niccolò Beati
TradeDimensions Commercial Leader, NIQ Italy
Niccolò Beati, born in 1990, with over ten years of experience at NIQ in analytical and commercial roles, is currently responsible for geomarketing intelligence solutions to support tactical and strategic decision-making for industry and distribution in optimizing Category Management (both inside and outside the point of sale). In this role, he is the NIQ reference point for the innovative TD2.0 platform, developed in partnership with JAKALA to provide clients with the most granular and precise market mapping as well as business opportunities at a micro-territorial level.
Sara Bernardini
Sara Bernardini
Professor, Royal Holloway University of London
Sara Bernardini is a Full Professor of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Royal Holloway University of London and “La Sapienza” University of Rome. She is First Research Fellow in AI and Data Science at the UK’s National Institute of Oceanography. Previously, she held positions at NASA and University College London. Her work focuses on intelligent decision-making algorithms for autonomous systems, which have been used in multiple real-world domains, from logistics to surveillance and extreme environment exploration. His articles regularly appear in prestigious international journals. He is a member of the Executive Council of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
Francesco Billari
Francesco Billari
Rector, Bocconi University
Since 2022 he has been Rector of Bocconi University, where he graduated in Political Economics. He holds a PhD in Demography from the University of Padua. Professor of Demography in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Bocconi University, he has been Director of the Department of Sociology and Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford University. His research has been published by generalist journals, such as Nature and PNAS, and by top international journals in the fields of demography, sociology, statistics and epidemiology.
Tito Boeri
Tito Boeri
Professor of Economics, Bocconi University
Tito Boeri is Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at Bocconi University in Milan and Senior Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics. He has been senior economist at the OECD, consultant to the IMF, World Bank, EU, ILO as well as to the Italian government. From March 2015 to February 2019 he served as President of the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS). He is Scientific Advisor to the Ing. Rodolfo Debenedetti Foundation. He is a columnist for La Repubblica and has collaborated with Italian and foreign newspapers, including Il Sole24ore, La Stampa, the Financial Times and Le Monde. He is one of the founders of the economic information website www.lavoce.info and the federated English-language website www.voxeu.org. He is the scientific director of the Turin Festival of Economics.
Matteo Bonù
Matteo Bonù
Food Industry Leader, NIQ Italy
As Food Industry Leader at NielsenIQ, he engages with clients with a global presence, affording him a privileged perspective on the dynamics and trends of Fast Moving Consumer Goods across more than 30 countries worldwide. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with numerous food and non-food companies on In Store Observation projects. He has also overseen multi-country initiatives with leading international FMCG companies in this field. He holds a degree in Marketing from the University of Milan – Bicocca.
Andrea Cabrini
Andrea Cabrini
Editor in Chief, Class CNBC
Andrea Cabrini has been director since 2001 of Class CNBC (Sky 507) and co-director of MF Milano Finanza for digital media coordination. A financial journalist and anchorman for over thirty years, he covers topics on economics, markets, banking and asset management. He conducts the Ceo Talks format, exclusive interviews with leading Italian and international CEOs. He also conceived and followed the Italia 4.0 project on the country’s digital transformation. He is moderator of several national and international events such as the G7 – Multistakeholder Conference and ECB Banking Supervision Forum. He is responsible for the ‘Media Experience’ course for university students at Bocconi University and SDA Bocconi. He comes from a 10-year experience in the Mediaset TG, where he was Editor-in-Chief and anchorman of TG4. He studied Political Science at the University of Milan and became a journalist after obtaining a Master’s degree at IFG, Istituto per la Formazione al Giornalismo, in 1986. He is 58 years old, has two children and lives in Milan.
Mario Calabresi
Mario Calabresi
Journalist and Writer
He authored the entry “Curiosity” for the Zingarelli dictionary, firmly believing that curiosity is the engine of the world and life’s best companion. A journalist and writer, he started his career as a parliamentary reporter at Ansa, served as a U.S. correspondent, and held editorial positions at La Stampa and La Repubblica. With nine books to his credit, he’s dedicated to experimenting with innovative forms of journalism and fiction. He hosts a weekly newsletter titled Altre/Storie and is a co-founder of the podcast company Chora Media.
Sabino Cassese
Sabino Cassese
Judge Emeritus of the Constitutional Court
Sabino Cassese is judge emeritus of the Constitutional Court and professor emeritus of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. He graduated in 1956 in Pisa, where he was a pupil of the Collegio Giuridico of the Scuola Normale Superiore. He is doctor “honoris caus”‘ at the Universities of Aix-en-Provence, Cordoba (Argentina), Paris II, Rome, Castilla-la-Mancha, Athens, Macerata and the European University Institute in Florence. He has taught at the Universities of Urbino, Naples, Rome, New York, Paris and Nantes. He was Minister for the Civil Service in the 50th government of the Italian Republic.
Christian Centonze
Christian Centonze
Head of Consumer Advanced Analytics, NIQ West Europe
Christian graduated in Management Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, with a thesis entitled “An Innovative Model for the Setup and Management of Customer Relationships in Business-to-Business Contexts.” After two consulting experiences, one in the automotive sector and the other in utilities, he gained solid experience in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), working for over 10 years with major players in the Italian industry and distribution. Initially as a Targeting & Segmentation Senior Consultant, and later as FMCG Solutions Leader for Nielsen. He specialized in advanced shopper segmentations and in 2017 developed the 5 new Purchasing Styles of Italian consumers.
Giuliano Cini
Giuliano Cini
Brand Partnerships Director, Italy & Greece TikTok
Giuliano has more than 15 years of experience in digital platforms and services. He joined TikTok in 2020 and since then he is responsible for the team of Brand Partnerships in the Italian and Greek markets, with the goal of building and maintaining long term partnerships with the main enterprises and brands, and bringing joy and creativity to their business. Before TikTok, he started his career at Google in the Dublin EMEA Headquarters and then in Milan, where he attended several positions in marketing and sales. He has also served as Country Manager Italy for international companies in the Adtech and Martech space. Giuliano is passionate about big challenges and team working. He loves to learn and to embrace diversity. He believes that success is made of great talents, hard work and a lot of curiosity! Originally from Florence, Giuliano lives in Milan with his wife and their 3 daughters. His TikTok is full of sport, autos, cooking & recipes, and wild nature!
Stefano Cini
Stefano Cini
Commercial Director FMCG
NIQ Italy
Born in 1981, Stefano Cini is a marketer, data driver, and public speaker. He is the Commercial Director at NielsenIQ and Chairman of the Digital Advisory Council, a permanent working group aimed at understanding the evolution of the omnichannel consumer and supporting the FMCG industry and distribution in facing the Digital Transformation.
Gianluigi Crippa
Gianluigi Crippa
Senior Partner, Jakala
Graduated from Bocconi University in 2001 with a specialization in Marketing, he began his journey in the field of consulting at Value Lab (now Jakala), a leading company in Marketing, Sales, and Retail focused on developing integrated business solutions with Technology, Data, and Analytics. Over the past 10 years, he has built vertical expertise in the organized large-scale retail sectors (both food and non-food) and consumer goods, currently holding the position of Senior Partner at Jakala – overseeing the Mass Market Retailers practice. Today, he supports numerous clients in their digital transformation journey, particularly in the Martech world, and in implementing projects ranging from customer loyalty strategies driven by analytics and AI in CRM to optimizing store performance through network and channel development, commercial offerings, and communication following a full-funnel logic.
Annalisa Cuzzocrea
Annalisa Cuzzocrea
Vice Director, La Stampa
Born in Reggio Calabria, she graduated from La Sapienza in Rome in Foreign Languages and Literature with a thesis – prepared during the months spent at University College London thanks to a university scholarship – on George Orwell and Arthur Koestler. Mainly, on the relationship between reality and propaganda in accounts of the Spanish war.He plays volleyball, plays the piano, paints. After university, she attended the Urbino school of journalism for two years, which guaranteed her apprenticeship as a journalist. She did more internships at Tg3 – foreign editorial staff – where she learned a lot. Her first contracts came at Repubblica.it, Radio Capital, which hired her, then Repubblica Tv. In 2011, the move to the pages of Repubblica, where she writes about politics and economics and becomes a correspondent. In November 2021 she moved to La Stampa, where she became deputy editor on 1 March 2022. In March 2021 her essay, Che fine hanno fatto i bambini, Cronache di un Paese che non guarda al futuro, Piemme Edition, was published. She held a course on political reporting in the social media era at the Luiss Master’s in Journalism in Rome. He is often a guest on evening talk shows: Otto e mezzo, Di Martedì, Piazza Pulita, Che tempo che fa.
Emilie Darolles
Emilie Darolles
President, NIQ West Europe
Emilie Darolles is President West Europe, and Key Accounts Lead for NIQ. In this role, she is responsible for establishing a growth strategy for our business. Since the combination of NIQ and GfK in 2023 – culminating in forming the world’s leading consumer intelligence company – Emilie has been responsible for consolidating the strengths and complementary capabilities of both companies in West Europe and provide clients with an unmatched suite of comprehensive and innovative solutions and the “Full View ™” of consumer behaviour. Emilie began her career with Nielsen (now NIQ) China in 2008. Since then, she has held several senior and client-centric positions across different markets in Asia and Europe, among others as Global FMCG Clients Group Leader, Global Client Business Partner, and Sales Operations Lead Markets. Prior to NIQ, Emilie worked at Kantar Worldpanel in the UK and started her career with Unilever in France. Emilie is active as a speaker and co-presented, among others, at the Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Coalition for Healthier Lives in Amsterdam in October 2022 where she introduced results of a NIQ analysis around the most vulnerable consumers. While in China, Emilie regularly presented the NIQ Consumer Confidence Index, a pulse of consumer sentiment towards the global economic climate, to media representatives. As a strong believer in diversity, Emilie renewed the CEO Pledge from LEAD Network Europe, demonstrating the commitment to further accelerate gender parity and to prioritize gender equity in the retail and CPG ecosystem. Emilie is based in France. She holds a master’s degree in marketing from the Montpellier Business School. Emilie reports to Tracey Massey, Chief Operations Officer, NIQ. She is active on LinkedIN.
Antonio De Caro
Antonio De Caro
Chief Brands and Innovation Officer, Bolton Food
Chief Brands and Innovation Officer, responsible for all the brands and innovation of Bolton Food, Europe’s no. 1 and the world’s no. 2 company in Canned Fish, present in over 50 countries. Leader of several successful case histories, Antonio has a consolidated experience in Marketing, Sales&Marketing and General Manager roles in important multinational Food & Beverage companies. He holds a degree in Business Economics from the “L. Bocconi” University of Commerce.
Francesco Del Porto
Francesco Del Porto
President, GS1 Italy
Since 2014 he has been President Region Italy and Global Chief Customer Officer. He has been with Barilla for over 30 years, growing in Customer Management in Italy and Europe. He designed and implemented the Barilla Sales Academy and the innovative Customer Collaboration Centers in Parma, Chicago and Sao Paulo. He is one of the Executive sponsors supporting Barilla’s ERG’s working on D&I and Gender Balance issues. Among other positions, he is President of First Retailing Spa, Vice President of Centromarca, President of the Steering Committee for Commercial Policies of Centromarca, Vice President of GS1 Italia, Member of the IBC President’s Committee and of the Boards of Directors of UPA and AIM.
Amalia Ercoli Finzi
Amalia Ercoli Finzi
Honorary Professor, The Polytechnic University of Milan
Already a Full Professor of Aerospace Engineering and now an Honorary Professor at the Politecnico di Milano, Amalia Ercoli Finzi has dedicated her career to Orbital Mechanics and Space Mission Design. Called upon to be part of strategic committees planning space activities for planetary exploration, she has been a member of the Technical Scientific Council of the Italian Space Agency, the Mars Exploration Task Force for the joint ASI-NASA Martian Exploration program, and the Exploration Programme Advisory Committee of the European Space Agency for planning space missions to Mars. She was the Principal Investigator of the SD2 experiment of the European Rosetta mission, one of the Corner Stones of the European Space Agency, aimed at drilling the comet’s nucleus and collecting samples, and coordinator of the Italian Team for the lunar robotic mission A.M.A.L.I.A. Previously a member of the High-level Scientific Program Advisory Committee (HISPAC) of the European Space Agency and the International Academy of Astronautics, she represented Italy as Italian Delegate in the European Horizon 2020 Program. She received the Milano Donna Award in 2007, the Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal in 2012, and the Hubert Curien Award in 2022, and was awarded the Gold Medal for scientific merits by the President of the Italian Republic. Recently, she was appointed Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In 2018, asteroid 24890 Amaliafinzi was named after her by the International Astronomical Union, and in 2021, ESA named the Ground Test Rover of the ExoMars Mission after her, calling it Amalia. Formerly the National President of the Italian Association of Women Engineers and Architects, President of the Equal Opportunities Committee of the Politecnico di Milano, and Rector’s Delegate for gender policies, Amalia Ercoli Finzi has been and continues to be deeply involved in promoting female presence in scientific faculties, particularly in Aerospace Engineering.
Xavier Facon
Xavier Facon
Global Product Leader, NIQ
Jonathan Forma
Jonathan Forma
Sr Digital Transformation Director, Colgate-Palmolive APAC
Jonathan was born in Michigan, USA and completed a Master of Arts at Michigan State University. Jonathan is a digital professional with over 13 years of experience in digital marketing, digital commerce, CRM and data analytics. Jonathan currently leads Digital Transformation for Colgate-Palmolive (APAC) and is based out of Singapore. In the past, Jonathan has spent time in Shanghai working in the automotive sector with Ford and Lincoln and he has spent time in Hong Kong working in the financial services sector with HSBC.
Enzo Frasio
Enzo Frasio
Managing Director, NIQ Italy
Graduated in Economics and Commerce from Bocconi University in Milan, Enzo Frasio began working at GfK over twenty years ago. Throughout his extensive tenure at GfK, he has held multiple roles of increasing responsibility, including internationally, focusing on diverse markets ranging from Technology to Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Automotive, and Retail. He has spent significant time abroad – from Africa to Asia – overseeing and coordinating important international projects. This experience has allowed him to acquire new methodological knowledge, engaging with realities vastly different from the Italian and European contexts. In 2016, he was selected to participate in GfK’s Excellence Program, a pathway dedicated to a select number of young managers, aimed at shaping future leadership. In 2017, he was entrusted with leading the company in Italy as President through the transition from two separate entities – GfK Eurisko and GfK Retail & Technology – into a single corporate entity, GfK Italia. This transition involved legal and administrative aspects, but primarily focused on harmonizing commercial perspectives, processes, digital platforms, and management, alongside an important cultural shift. Since 2020, Enzo also leads the GfK Commercial University globally. Currently, he serves as both the CEO of NielsenIQ and GfK in Italy, sits on the General Council of Confindustria Intellect, and serves as the President of ASSIRM. He approaches these four roles with openness to new ideas, a trait he values in others and strives to embody. A considerable amount of flexibility and curiosity drive his managerial style, seeking the right path through collaboration, discussion, and constructive debate.
Mara Galbiati
Mara Galbiati
Head of I – Solution Sinottica, GfK an NIQ Company
Graduated from IULM University in Milan and with a master’s degree in Marketing Communications from Bournemouth University, she has been with GfK for over 17 years, having started her career in market research in the UK, working for different sectors and with different methodologies. In his work experience he has held roles of increasing responsibility mainly in the Media Measurement area of GfK, where he contributed to the development of cross-media measurement products. Since 2021 he has been Team Lead of Sinottica’s Client Solution, a unique tool on the market for understanding the consumer at 360°.
Andrea Gangheri
Andrea Gangheri
Senior Sustainability Strategist, Quantis
Andrea Gangheri is Principal Sustainability Strategist at Quantis, where he leads the Food & Beverage sector for Italy. Starting from Quantis’ science-based approach, Andrea accompanies leading Italian companies in their sustainable business transformation, so that they can operate within the Planetary Boundaries, with a focus on Climate and Nature-related paths.Andrea joined Quantis after almost 20 years of experience in strategy consulting – where, as Principal, he designed consulting solutions in the areas of strategy, digital innovation, sales and marketing.
Ludovica Gragnoli
Ludovica Gragnoli
Healthcare Marketing Trainee Pediatrics SN, Danone Nutricia Società Benefit
Ludovica Gragnoli, born and raised in L’Aquila, but Milanese by adoption, is 24 years old and currently holds the position of Healthcare Marketing Trainee Pediatrics SN in the Paediatric Specialised Nutrition department at Danone Nutricia S.p.A Benefit Company. Her career is driven by a combination of analysis, creativity, empathy and a passion for teamwork. Ludovica is not content with challenges, she embraces them with joy, finding gratification in surpassing her personal limits every day. This is why she initially decided to flank her Master’s degree course in Trade and Consumer Marketing with a more practical course such as the GS1 Italy Retail and Brand Management Master’s degree, motivated by her personal curiosity in understanding the complexity of the Marketing world, focusing both on Marketing strategies oriented towards the final demand, the consumer, and those oriented towards the intermediate demand, the commercial distribution. Being able to subsequently touch with her hands, everything she had always learnt in books, brought her great enthusiasm, especially being able to bring her skills and passions into her daily life, and make her passion the focus of her days.
Giangiacomo Ibba
Giangiacomo Ibba
Managing Director, CRAI
Giangiacomo Ibba graduated at the age of 24 in Business Administration at the University of Parma with a thesis on Distribution and focus on CRAI, a Group in which he had been working since his youth.Therefore began his long experience in the Food Retail field. His determination and strong passion will lead him to cover numerous managerial positions.In 2002 at just 26 years old, firmly believing in CRAI’s proximity model, he founded the CRAI Sardinia Consortium, taking over its presidency.In 2003 he became President of Fratelli Ibba, beginning a path of growth that has led the company to be a reference among the most important Sardinian and large-scale retail companies, counting more than 300 stores and a turnover of more than 750 million euros. Numbers that account for the commitment of a large family of about 1,200 people and a total induced activity of more than 2,000.Since 2009 he became President of Crai Cooperativa, already partner of Fratelli Ibba since 1989, and in September 2022, he has assumed the role of CEO of the company.In the meantime, in 2009 he was also appointed Chairman of Crai Tirreno Spa and in 2016 Chairman of Leader Price Italia Spa, now under the name of Food 5.0 Srl.In June 2022, he was named CEO of Crai Secom S.p.A., a historical reality in the large-scale retail sector. Specialised in convenience stores, it has a network of more than 3,200 stores throught the country.Moreover, he is a member of Unicredit’s Central Italy Territory Council, vice-president of Confcommercio Oristano, and a member of the Executive Boards of ADM and GS1.
Janina Landau
Janina Benedetta Landau
Editor – Journalist, Class CNBC
Professional journalist since 2002. She graduated with honours in Literature from La Sapienza University in Rome, and did an internship in the editorial office of the Maurizio Costanzo Show. After an experience at the local TV station Teleregione (T9), she completed her journalism internship at the Rome Agency for Jubilee Preparation. In 2001, she moved to Milan where she worked in the editorial office of Class Cnbc. From 2002 to 2004, she worked at Unicredit as head of the Pioneer Global Asset Management S.p.A. press office. Since 2005, she has been the head of the Rome office of Class Cnbc, a television channel produced by Class Editori in partnership with NBC, Dow Jones and Mediaset, and follows the major Italian political and economic-financial events on a daily basis. He writes for the daily newspaper MF and Milano Finanza. In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has produced the news bulletin of the Italian diplomacy Foreign News. Author of the book #COMUNICATRICI published by Castelvecchi (2018). Committed to the promotion of financial education and the fight against economic violence, she actively collaborates with the Global Thinking Foundation. She participates as a columnist in the main RAI, LA7, MEDIASET and SKY programmes. In 2020, she obtained a Master’s degree in Communication at SDA Bocconi. She was awarded Journalist of the Year at the CREDIT AWARDS 2024
Angelo Mastrolia
Angelo Mastrolia
President, Newlat Food
Angelo Mastrolia is an Italian entrepreneur, majority shareholder and Chairman of the Newlat Food Group. Thanks to his vision, in just 20 years Mastrolia has transformed his family business from a small milk producer to one of Europe’s most important industrial groups. Thanks to his unwavering dedication, Mastrolia has achieved his goal of listing the Newlat group in 2019 in the STAR segment of the Italian stock exchange. He has always stood out for an entrepreneurial approach focused on expansion and diversification in the food sector and through a strategy of acquisitions aimed at strengthening Newlat Food’s presence in both the Italian and international markets.
Paolo Mieli
Paolo Mieli
Journalist and Writer
Paolo Mieli, a journalist and historian in the 1970s, a pupil of Renzo De Felice and Rosario Romeo, was at Espresso, then at La Repubblica and La Stampa, which he headed from 1990 to 1992, and from 2004 to 2009 he was editor of Corriere della Sera. From 2009 to 2016 he was president RCS libri, currently a columnist for Corriere della Sera. His essays include: History and Politics (2001); The Chinese Drop (2002); The Stories, the History (2004); I Conti con la Storia (2013); The Weapon of Memory (2015); At War with the Past (2016); The Italian Chaos (2017); Flashes on History (2018); Hidden Truths (2019); The Therapy of Forgetting (2020); The Tribunal of History (2021); Still Open Wounds (2022); The Authoritarian Century (2023).
Davide Morotti
Davide Morotti
Buyer – Head of Dairy Products Department, Coop Italia
Davide Morotti, 31 years old, was born and raised in the province of Modena. During his university studies he developed an interest in the FMCG world. After finishing his Master in Retail and Brand Management GS1 in Parma, he moved to Varese to start his working career as Junior Buyer – Freschi LS for the supermarket chain Tigros, Agorà Network group. After 5 years of great satisfaction in Lombardy, Davide returned with a wealth of experience to his homeland for a new work adventure at Coop Italia in Bologna, first as National Buyer Grandi Marche and now as Dairy Department Manager – Marche.
Francesco Mutti
Francesco Mutti
President, Centromarca
Francesco Mutti was born in 1968 in Parma, the nucleo of the Food Valley. After graduating in Finance & Management from Cardiff University, he became CEO of Mutti, the family business, whose continuous growth he has guided since 1994.His entrepreneurial project is based on 5 strategic drivers: a strong investment in people; a focus on the search for the highest quality starting with the product and then the enhancement of relationships with the agricultural world; a continuous search for innovation to offer products with high added value; a focus on brand growth in international markets; and a responsible construction of good economic, social, and environmental practices.Currently Vice-President of Anicav, in 2017 Francesco Mutti was appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of the Republic and has been President of Centromarca since 2018.In May 2022 he received the Guido Carli prize.
Mara Panajia
Mara Panajia
President and General Manager, Henkel Italia
After obtaining a degree in Business Economics with a focus on marketing from Bocconi University in Milan, Mara Panajia, originally from Calabria but adopted by Milan, began her career at Danone where she worked for 5 years, from 1995 to 2000, initially in management control and later in marketing. Her move to Henkel occurred in 2000 as a Brand Manager for the Local Marketing unit of Laundry Care, subsequently advancing to Marketing Manager and Marketing Director of Laundry Care, positions she held for 7 years. This period marked the foundation of Mara Panajia’s growth within the company. She then became Marketing Director of Laundry & Home Care for Italy, Greece, and Cyprus, a role she held for 4 years from 2008 to 2012, and later in sales in Italy, where she remained until March 2014. In 2014, the great opportunity arose at Henkel’s headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, where she served as Corporate Vice President of International Marketing. For 5 years, Mara has been living between her work in Germany and her husband and children in Italy, an experience she treasures and especially draws upon in her current role as Henkel Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion policies. In 2019, she returned to Italy to lead the Laundry Home Care division at Henkel, serving as General Manager. Currently, she is the President and CEO of Henkel Italy, as well as the General Manager of Henkel Consumer Brands. In 2021, she was named by Forbes among the top 100 successful Italian women.
Davide Pellegrini
Davide Pellegrini
Professor of Economics and Management, University of Parma
Davide Pellegrini is Professor of Marketing in the Department of Economics and Management at the University of Parma where he is also coordinator of Master Gs1 Italy in Retail Brand and Digital Management. He holds a PhD – Bocconi University, Milan – and is visiting professor at the universities of Kobe – Japan -, Nancy – France- and Zaragoza –Spain. In 2009, he was consultant for Iftech, the Japanese Institute for Future Technology. He was awarded the Ordre des Palmes Academiques in Strasbourg. His research interests include marketing metrics, vertical relationships, competitive regulation and public policies. His work has been presented at international conferences, including those held by the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and by ESCP/EAP.
Telmo Pievani
Telmo Pievani
Professor of Philosophy of Biological Sciences, University of Padova
Evolutionist, philosopher of science, essayist, teaches Philosophy of Biological Sciences in the Department of Biology at the University of Padua and is a visiting scientist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. From 2017 to 2019 he was president of the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology. Author of 346 publications, translated into many languages, his most recent books are: Imperfection (Cortina, 2019); Finitude (Cortina, 2020); Serendipity (Cortina, 2021); Nature is Greater than Us (Solferino, 2022). A member of leading scientific societies and the Editorial Board of international journals, he directs the portals Pikaia and Il Bo LIVE. Winner of 12 awards, author of books including children’s books on evolution, together with the Banda Osiris, the “Deproducers” collective and Marco Paolini he is the creator of science-themed theatrical and musical projects. He collaborates with Il Corriere della Sera, RAI and the magazines Le Scienze, Micromega and L’Indice dei Libri.
Andrea Pontremoli
Andrea Pontremoli
CEO, Dallara
Andrea Pontremoli joined IBM in 1980, hired as a simple maintenance technician and pursued his professional career until he was appointed IBM Italia President and CEO in 2004. In October 2007, Andrea Pontremoli left his position as President and CEO of IBM Italy and accepted a new challenge, joining engineer Gian Paolo Dallara at the helm of Dallara Automobili. Pontremoli joins as a partner of the founder, Gian Paolo Dallara, and assumes the position of Managing Director and General Manager. Since November 2007, he has been Director of the “Executive Master in Technology and Innovation Management” at Bologna Business School at the University of Bologna. Since April 2008, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Barilla S.p.A. and since May 2012 he has been a member and Lead Independent Director in the Board of Directors of Brunello Cucinelli S.p.A.He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Parma since January 2017 and a member of the Board of Directors of Turbocoating Group S.p.A. since December 2017.As of June 2019, he is a member of the BoD of Credit Agricole Italia S.p.A.In 2004, the University of Parma awarded him an Honorary Degree in Computer Engineering for the expertise he has acquired over the years as a manager and for his constant commitment to the technological development of local realities.On 2 June 2006, he received the honour of Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana from President of the Republic Ciampi.Andrea Pontremoli is also involved in several initiatives with non-profit organisations and societies:-President of MUNER (Motorvehicle University of Emilia Romagna, Non-Profit for Education)-Chairman Innovation Farm (Non-Profit for Education)-President Centro Studi Valceno (Non-Profit for Culture and Territory)-Vice President ASPHI (Onlus for Disabled Management through Information Technology).
Giorgio Santambrogio
Giorgio Santambrogio
CEO, VéGé Group
Giorgio Santambrogio is the CEO of Gruppo VéGé and General Manager of VéGé Retail. He is the founder and a member of the Executive Committee of Aicube in Italy and Grupo IFA in Europe. As the former President of the Modern Distribution Association, he currently serves as the Vice President of the Retail Institute Italy and is a member of the Executive Committee of Federdistribuzione and GS1. He is an opinion leader and commentator, as well as a lecturer, chairman, and speaker for master’s programs, universities, institutes, and industry associations at both national and international levels. His interventions focus on the social, cultural, and economic dynamics of retail and the entire Italian agri-food supply chain.
Cristiana Scelza
Cristiana Scelza
Presidente, Valore D
Executive Vice President Electrification, Prysmian
Cristiana Scelza is President of Valore D, an association of companies that has been committed to gender balance and an inclusive culture in organisations and in our country since 2009, where she has already held the role of Councillor.Born in Salerno, Scelza has a solid STEM education: she graduated with honours in Inorganic Chemistry with an EMBA from the Kellogg School of Management – WHU Otto Beisheim University.She started her career at Pirelli Cavi in 1997 and joined the Industrial Cable Business Unit in 2003, beginning a new journey in the Prysmian world. In his new role he supports the implementation of new products and technologies in the almost 100 factories in the Group’s 50 countries, thus expanding his international experience and professional profile.From 2014 to 2019 Scelza held the role of SURF (Subsea Umbilical, Riser and Flowlines) Market Director, responsible for the production and sales of umbilical cables and flexible pipes for Brazil and the rest of the world. From 2019 to early 2023, she was CEO of Prysmian Group in Russia.Country Manager Prysmian Netherlands in 2023, leading a team of 700 people, responsible for over 500 million in sales, from January 2024 she is Executive Vice President Electrification.She is co-creator and project leader of Side by Side, the Prysmian Group’s international diversity and inclusion project to promote a multicultural work environment and encourage the participation of women at every level of the company.Cristiana Scelza is a member of “La Carica delle 101” and “CEO Factory of Girl Restart”
Sara Scrittore
Sara Scrittore
Vice president & General Manager, Southern Europe, Colgate-Palmolive Italy
Sara Scrittore, holding a degree in business administration from Bocconi University, Milan, currently serves as the Vice President General Manager of Southern Europe at Colgate-Palmolive, a position she has held since January 2022.Sara’s professional journey with Colgate-Palmolive began immediately after her university studies in Italy. Starting in Customer Service and Logistics, she transitioned through various commercial roles within the company. Driven by a passion for learning and change, Sara has spearheaded numerous transformations in international capacities, particularly in the realms of Customer Development and Digital Commerce.Her global experience unfolded in 2001 when she moved to Hong Kong as the Associate Director of Customer Marketing in the Colgate-Palmolive Asia Division. Sara’s career then led her back to Europe in 2005, where she assumed the role of Director of Customer Development for Portugal. In 2008, she transitioned to the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Division, serving as the Customer Development Director for the European Region.The year 2010 marked Sara’s move to New York as the Colgate-Palmolive Worldwide Director of Customer Marketing. After a successful stint, she returned to The Hill’s Pet Nutrition Division in 2013, initially as the General Manager for Asia and later as the Vice President of Global Customer Development and Digital Commerce.In 2019, Sara Scrittore returned to the Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific region, taking on the role of Vice President of Customer Development and Digital Commerce. Throughout her distinguished career, Sara has been a driving force in navigating complex international landscapes and contributing to the strategic growth and development of Colgate-Palmolive.
Michael Spence
Michael Spence
Professor Emeritus, Stanford Business School
He is the Philip H. Knight Professor Emeritus of Management in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, a Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an Adjunct Professor at Bocconi University in Milan, and an Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford University. In 2001, he received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in the field of information economics. He is the author of “Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World”, with Gordon Brown and Mohamed El-Erian, Simon and Schuster, 2023. Also the author of “The Next Convergence: The Future of Economic Growth in a Multispeed World,” Ferrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. He is a Senior Advisor to Jasper Ridge Partners and a Senior Advisor to General Atlantic Partners, and chairs GA’s Global Growth Institute. He chairs the Advisory Council of the Asia Global Institute, and was the Chairman of The Independent Commission on Growth and Development (2006-2010), where he served with Montek Singh Ahluwalia. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Luohan Academy in Hangzhou. He served as Dean of the Stanford Business School from 1990 to 1999 and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University from 1984 to 1990. He was awarded the John Kenneth Galbraith Prize for excellence in teaching and the John Bates Clark Medal for a “significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge.” The Clark Medal was awarded, at that time, every two years to an Economist under the age of 40.
Maniele Tasca
Maniele Tasca
Vicepresidente, GS1 Italy
Currently, Maniele Tasca has held the position of general manager at SELEX Gruppo Commerciale S.p.A. since 2009.
Maniele Tasca’s academic background includes a degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University. His career path began between 1994 and 2003, in the consumer goods and retail sector at the Bolton Group and the strategic consulting firms Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company.
In the following years, from 2004 to 2008, he joined the Alpitour Group. He initially held the position of Marketing Director and later rose to the position of Managing Director of the Retail Division.
In addition to his executive roles, Maniele Tasca has assumed important leadership responsibilities. He currently serves as Managing Director of the Board of Directors of ESD Italia and Board Member of the European Central EMD.
He also holds advisory positions as a member of Inselex and serves as Attorney General of the Italian A&O Consortium.
He is vice president of Gs1 Italia. As a representative of Selex, he actively participates in the Boards of Directors of ADM and Federdistribuzione.
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