Can you tell us about your career path and what are the main challenges or obstacles you had to overcome?
I moved to Milan when I was 18 to graduate from Bocconi University.
A desire more of my parents than mine, actually, but today I thank them.
It was there that I took my first professional steps, working in SDA Bocconi and the University as a researcher and lecturer for 5 years, after an experimental thesis on the role of emotions in purchasing behavior.
The Academy was a fundamental training ground for my professional growth, but I did not have “the sacred fire.” Always passionate about creativity as a strategic and innovation tool, I started my career as a brand consultant at Interbrand. Here I was able to realize my dream: to work on business challenges, for national and international clients, through the lens of brand.
Ultimately, branding is art and science.
More than obstacles, I would speak of challenges; these are what ultimately make you grow, and yes, they have been many.
Of a personal nature, because for a long time I thought I was not up to par and not enough. Of context, because it was not easy to start on my own, without any safety net, in a social and professional environment that was distant from my background.
What are your views on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the branding and strategic consulting industry, and how do you think it can affect the long-term success of companies in this sector?
My utopia is that we should not even talk about diversity and inclusion anymore, in the world of work and beyond, they should be given concepts. But precisely that is a utopia, it is not yet so and we are far from appreciating them as must-haves, although many steps forward have been taken, fortunately.
I don't think there is “a long term” for companies and sectors not to make it a must-have in their corporate culture and behavior. Without diversity and inclusion there is no constructive debate, no innovation, therefore, growth and business success.
In 2020 you were selected as one of the “100 Successful Women” by Forbes Italy, a remarkable accolade. What were the main guiding principles or strategies you followed to achieve success in your career, and how do you think they can be applied by other women?
Yes, this recognition surprised me and certainly greatly honored me, but it is in the surprise that I found a great lesson. Often many of us do not intimately believe that we deserve success, and this is very wrong because it creates a ballast for us, it doesn't allow us to fly high and high.
I started working in a very male-dominated world, and several times-as a young person-in some companies I did not even have the opportunity to speak, only to take notes.
Fortunately, I was supported and inspired by great mentors-men and women-who helped me believe that my voice and point of view mattered.
In my own small way, what I have learned and want to share is that fear exists, it is an emotion of human beings and as such it must be accepted, but it must be a motivating force, otherwise it is a waste of time.
“A passionate advocate of Venture Capital,” you recently also became a business angel for Italian Angels for Growth (IAG). What prompted you to take this step and what was your main motivation?
Passion for innovation, big ideas and risk.
Thanks to IAG, I have the opportunity to be exposed to all this, to learn and to grow.
Often the world of big business is congealed, but ideas that run fast and find real application are the future. I am very interested in the contamination between the scale and impact of big business and the scalability of big ideas.
What are the emerging sectors or trends in the startup world that you think are particularly interesting and why?
Bio-tech, Cyber Security, E-health are the areas that interest me most right now because of the huge impact they have on social progress and, therefore, on our future.
The simplicity and relevance of the narrative of an often complex value proposition, clear target insight (aka strong idea branding), a solid business plan that is articulated by risk/probability scenarios, and certainly the scalability of the business are in my opinion key elements-not mutually exclusive-to pay attention to when presenting one's start-up.
In a recent interview you said that the personal accomplishment you are most proud of is becoming confident in asking for help when you need it. Do you have any final advice or inspiration you would like to share with other women who are pursuing success in their professional careers?
Believe in one's intuition and have a thirst for knowledge.