1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

Being an executive in a complex/large enterprise is a matter of organization, time management, relationship, leadership. As per my personality, the most challenging part of my job is definitively negotiation among different company levels to achieve goals.

2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I have been a professional for a while and, given the fact my company is a leading education institute based on professionals (and not academic teams), I was asked to take the Director role because people working within the organization asked to have me in the top management. So it happened that I became their leader because they wanted me to.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

My calendar is my boss. Everything is in there, including my private life. I organize everything very well in advance , even while developing projects I already set up calendars and meetings for months ahead, to always give the key steps to my team and myself. In a nutshell my calendar is about: weekly/bi-weekly-monthly-quarterly progress meetings with different teams but also companies meetings for relationships and always keeping an eye on the market outside.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

In covid-remote working many many lessons are learned. In my opinion the biggest lesson is that we cannot skip human touch ever and need to solve issues, always to talk and meet even virtually BUT avoid only messaging.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

I am a fan of REAL life and quite against books. The most meaningful lessons that impacted my life are great entrepreneurs or managers I had the privilege to work with and for: Paolo Vitelli (Azimut yachts), Barilla family (Barilla), Pasquale Natuzzi (Natuzzi), Filippo Marazzi (Marazzi group), Paul Heart (VP P&G), Marco d'Alimonte (Tesla) , IED Group CEO Massimo Rosi and many many others everyday. You learn more by spending 30 minutes with them rather than reading a book.

6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

I believe it is all about choosing the right team, setting up a strong organization with a clear agreed vision.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

A story that is repeating everyday:
when someone says "it is NOT possible, because we have always done like this' ' is the first fire that turns me on. When someone said: it is not possible for and italian school to win international contests, it is not possible to gain 100% job placement of your students, it is not possible to involve global leaders in your Advisory Board and among the teachers team, it is not possible at school to develop REAL company projects and so on...well step by step we achieved that . Not because someone calls me Wonder Woman BUT because if you have a meaningful scope and a large amount of commitment and passion , every challenge can be achieved.