Partner and Chief Brand & Communications Officer at Deloitte Central Mediterranean. Unorthodox, an explorer, charting original routes between consulting, art, and culture.
Describe yourself in one adjective.
Protean.
What's your favorite word?
Protean.
What values guide your choices every day?
Loyalty, listening, inclusion.
What job did you dream of doing as a child?
Primary school teacher.
What's the achievement you're most proud of as a manager?
A Dot Night: San Siro, July 27, 2024. Mahmood, Madame, and Big Mama performing for around 13,000 Deloitte people. Then Gabry Ponte getting them on their feet. The first private concert in San Siro’s history. Organized by my team together with Marco Balich. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.
Where have you failed in your career, and what did you learn from that experience?
I’ve always been fascinated by stories of big failures followed by inspiring comebacks. Personally, I don’t have a gripping story to tell, but of course I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I’ve learned two things above all: when something goes wrong, don’t waste time looking for who’s to blame, ask for help right away to fix the problem. Out of this instinct to mend mistakes quickly, some of the strongest professional and personal relationships I have today were born.
What's the hardest challenge you've faced and overcome?
Imposter syndrome. For years I thought I wasn’t up to my role. On one hand, that pushed me to always give my best; on the other, it generated anxiety and at times a sense of inadequacy that was completely out of proportion. For a few years now, finally, I’ve felt like a solid professional. The self-awareness I’ve gained gives me strength and confidence, and precisely because it was hard-won, it’s a source of great personal pride.
What's the best advice you've ever received, and who gave it to you?
“Better to blush once than to turn pale a thousand times.” Said by the Neapolitan mother of one of my primary school classmates. I understood it years later.
What quality do you value most in people?
Quickness of thought.
Name a manager or entrepreneur you admire.
Miuccia Prada. Not only for her pioneering vision in the fashion world, but above all for her radical approach to experimentation and continuous inquiry, spanning artistic, cultural, and scientific fields. Her intellectual curiosity and her ability to put these different worlds in dialogue have built a unique entrepreneurial model, making her one of the most respected and influential figures internationally.
Who do you consider your mentor—the person you've learned the most from professionally?
Without a doubt: Paolo Gibello, former President of Fondazione Deloitte and former CEO of Deloitte’s Audit division.
Name three brands you love.
Prada, of course. Patagonia, for the way it has integrated environmental sustainability with brand strategy. And finally, the Benetton of the Eighties and Nineties, shaped by the collaboration with Oliviero Toscani. On that note, to remember, and perhaps better understand, the story of the Benetton-Toscani partnership, I recommend the documentary Oliviero Toscani. Chi mi ama, mi segua by director Fabrizio Spucches, sponsored by Deloitte and Fondazione Deloitte.
What song do you never get tired of listening to?
No Ordinary Love by Sade.
What film do you never get tired of watching?
Erin Brockovich by Steven Soderbergh.
What book has taught you the most?
There are many, but if I go back to my adolescence, probably the two most important books for me were The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. Even though today I look at these works with a more critical eye, the mark they left contributed enormously to shaping who I am.
What sport has taught you the most?
Swimming.
What do you follow regularly to stay informed, inspired, and keep growing?
My days always start with Seietrenta by Chora Media and Morning by Il Post. Then I pick pieces from the digital editions of Corriere della Sera, la Repubblica, and Il Sole 24 Ore. I never miss Nick Cave’s The Red Hand Files newsletter or the Fashion Neurosis interviews with Bella Freud. And then various Instagram profiles, Substack newsletters and others, and so on. I try to stay up to date, and I’m always on the lookout for recommendations!
Which app do you use the most?
Instagram.
What are you most passionate about outside of work?
Good reads, art, and writing.
What's the greatest invention of all time?
Writing.
Which historical figure do you feel closest to?
Peggy Guggenheim.
What change would you like to see in the world?
Hard to pick just one right now. I’d say: a complete change of course. Education accessible to all, disarmament, welcoming migrants, redistribution of wealth, protection of privacy, equitable access to healthcare, safeguarding minority rights, and much more.
What habit has improved your life most in recent years?
Becoming vegetarian.
What's your motto?
The first thing is to keep the first thing the first thing.