Can you tell us a little about your career path and how you came to become General Manager?
A rather articulated career path: the first part of my career was in marketing and product innovation in large consumer goods multinationals (Mars, Philips, Sara Lee, Coca-Cola). In Coca-Cola after a few years as Marketing Director Italy, I had the opportunity to develop the skills for a double transition, becoming General Manager of the business of two product categories (Juices and Mineral Waters) and expanding my responsibility beyond Italy, over a group of countries in Central/Southern Europe. At a certain point in my career, after many years in large, structured companies, I felt the need for more speed and dynamism and became involved in digital and business innovation, as a consultant but also as General Manager of start-ups.
You have worked in both large multinationals and fast-growing start-ups. What are the main differences and challenges you have encountered in these two contexts?
The large multinational company offers great horizons, a rich structuring of experience with an equally rich build-up of skills and professionalism but generally travels at a slower speed, requires one to respect hierarchies and follow procedures, rules and bureaucracy to manage organisational complexity. Start-ups offer more flexibility, the unique opportunity to build businesses from scratch, work in small teams where you are exposed to all business dynamics and decisions but at the same time roles and tasks are often undefined and overlapping, there is a lack of specific skills and professionalism and, perhaps the most challenging element, you must live with financial uncertainty.
What strategies do you adopt for talent development within your organisation?
I have learnt over the years to combine the evaluation of results with that of attitudes and values, to balance the ‘what’ was achieved with the ‘how’ was achieved: and sometimes the ‘how’ is more important than the ‘what’.
What motivated you to become an IAG business angel? Can you tell us something about your experience as Champion of the start-up MIRTA?
IAG offers a privileged window on innovation in a wide variety of sectors, some of which I would never have approached for know-how, e.g. Pharma, Digital Health or Bio-Tech. I also wanted to put my professional experience, know-how and network of contacts at the service of entrepreneurs and companies that are just starting up or developing, as is the case with Mirta.
How has your role as a business angel influenced your view of business and innovation?
As a business angel, it became even clearer to me how successful innovation requires tapping into and activating a whole eco-system made up of many players, to find the right know-how, the right skills and the right resources. This is also true today for large companies, not only for start-ups.
What are the main benefits you have observed in companies that adopt effective diversity & inclusion practices and what is the most important message you would like to give on this issue?
A healthier, more serene and more productive environment are the main benefits. Sound D&I practices, internalized in organizational values and dynamics, are today a prerequisite for attracting, enhancing and retaining talent.