VALERIO BATTISTA
He is Prysmian SpA’s Chief Executive Officer and General Manager and is at the head of the Prysmian Group organisation. He gained 17 years experience with the Pirelli Group and headed the Energy Cables and Systems business Unit for five years, including the period 2002-2003 during which the Group successfully completed its reorganisation plan. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Florence University in 1981. He joined UnoAErre in 1983 as Head of its Technical Office. In September 1987 he joined the Operations Department in the Steel Cord division of Pirelli & C. spa Group in Figline Valdarno. In 1997 he became Director of the Steel Cord division of Pirelli Tyre Division where he then became Purchasing Director in 2001.
He became CEO of the Group’s Energy Cables and Systems business unit in February 2002 and CEO of the Telecom Cables and Systems unit in December 2004.
Posts held
CEO & General Manager Prysmian S.p.A.
FRANCESCO CAIO
Born in Naples in 1957 he took a degree in Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano in 1980. In 1985 he earned an MBA at Insead in Fontainebleau in France.
From the 2nd of May 2011 is the CEO of Avio Group.
From October 2008 to March 2011, Vice Chairman Europe of Investment Banking Nomura in London.
In 2008 and 2009 he was a consultant to the English and Italian governments for the establishment of industrial policy plans for the development of broadband telecommunications networks.
In his career he has held senior management posts in groups operating in the telecommunications, technology and consumer durables industries.
From 2003 to 2006, CEO of Cable & Wireless - fixed and mobile telecommunications in more than 25 countries - (London).
From 2000 to 2006, CEO of Netscalibur Internet services for businesses (London and Milan).
From 1997 to 2000, CEO of Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA (now Indesit Company) in Fabriano.
From 1993 to 1996, CEO of Omnitel - the first private mobile operator in Italy (now Vodafone Italy) and then CEO of Olivetti.
Since 2009, independent director of Invensys PLC (London). He was an independent director of Motorola (Chicago) from 2000 to 2003 and Equant (New York / Amsterdam) from 1997 to 2000.
Posts held
Independent Director Invensys Plc
INNOCENZO CIPOLLETTA
Born in Rome in 1941, he graduated in Statistics from "La Sapienza" University in Rome in 1965.
He is Chairman of UBS Italia SIM S.p.A and Chairman of The University of Trento.
He was Chairman of Ferrovie dello Stato (from 2006 to 2010), of the daily financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore (from 2004 to 2007), of UBS Corporate Finance Italia S.p.A. (from 2002 to 2006) and of the Marzotto Group (from 2000 to 2003) and also held the position of General Director of Confindustria (the Italian Industry Association) for ten years (1990-2000).
He has been an officer and executive of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and the ISCO (Italian Institute for Studies on Economic Cycles).
As a professor of Economics, he has taught at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, at the University of Reggio Calabria, at the University of Florence “Cesare Alfieri” and at the Roman University “LUISS–Guido Carli” (where he was also on the board of directors).
He is on the boards of Fondazione Censis, Fondazione Musica per Roma, and Fondazione Lars Magnus Ericsson. He is presently on numerous scientific committees, including Economia Italiana, Rivista di Politica Economica and Fondazione NordEst.
He is a member of a number of non-profit organisations such as the Italian Statistics Society, the Italian Economists Society, Demographics and Statistics, the ISTAO (Istituto Adriano Olivetti per la Gestione Economica e delle Aziende) and of the Italian Institute for International Affairs (IAI).
He is a freelance journalist and economics commentator for a number of newspapers. He is also the author of a large number of scientific papers and books.
Innocenzo Cipolletta is also a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1994).
Posts held
Chairman UBS Italia Sim., Director Poltrona Frau S.p.A., Director iGuzzini S.p.A., Director Ceramiche Piemme S.p.A., Director Laterza-Agorà srl, Director FS Sistemi Urbani srl
PAOLO DE CESARE
He started his career in 1983 in the Laundry products marketing Department of Procter and Gamble Italy. In his 24-year career in Procter & Gamble he worked in Brussels, London and Kobe (Japan) before moving to Geneva in 2002 as President Global Prestige Beauty and Personal Care. He was responsible for Profit and Loss, Innovation, Manufacturing, and Marketing of one of Procter & Gamble’s fastest growing and most dynamic businesses, with global sales of USD3-4 billion. He oversaw 2000 managers, 5 manufacturing sites and 4 major research centers. Key brands managed were Olaz, Max Factor, SKII, Safeguard, Camay, and the fine fragrances portfolio with Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Gucci, Escada. In this capacity he became a member of the Global Executive Committee including the top 40 managers of the company and was involved in the acquisition and integration of Wella and Gillette Company.
He has been chairman and CEO for Printemps Department stores, Paris, since 2007. In this position he is leading the Luxury Department store chain in France, with sales of over €1 billion, 4,000 employees and 17 stores across France. The company was acquired in 2007 by a private equity group including REEF Fund (Deutsche Bank) and the Borletti Group. As the first CEO appointed by the new shareholder, he is in charge of the complete repositioning of the department store chain with an investment budget of €280 million over 5 years. Printemps’ flagship store has been revamped to become one of the most iconic department stores in the world, with a renovated Luxury area featuring the best luxury brands like Cartier, Chanel, Bulgari, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Yves St Laurent, Prada, Tiffany, etc.
Posts held
CEO and General Manager Printemps Group
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MARIO GRECO
Mario Greco, born in 1959, Italian citizen, graduated in Economics from the University of Rome in 1983, and completed a Master in International Economics and Monetary Theory at Rochester University, New York (USA), in 1986.
Mario Greco is a member of the Group Executive Committee and Chief Executive Officer of General Insurance of Zurich Financial Services Ltd (Zurich). He joined Zurich in October 2007.
Mario Greco started his professional career in management consulting, working with McKinsey & Company’s Milan office from 1986 until 1994 becoming a partner in 1992 and leader partner in the insurance segment. In 1995, he joined Ras (Allianz Group) in Milan as head of the Claims Division. In 2000, he became the company’s chief executive officer. He was appointed head of Allianz’s Life Sustainability business in Munich in 2004, and later that year he was appointed to Allianz AG’s executive board, with responsibility for France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey. In April 2005, he joined the Sanpaolo IMI Group in Milan as the CEO of EurizonVita. In October 2005, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of EFG (Eurizon Financial Group), the company holding the Sanpaolo IMI Group’s investments in Eurizon Vita and Banca Fideuram, and Eurizon Capital Sgr.
Posts held
CEO General Insurance Zurich Financial Services, Chairman & Legal representative Zurich Life & Pensions, Chairman & Legal representative Zurich Investments Life, Chairman & Legal representative Zurich Life Insurance Italia, Director Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso S.p.A, Director Saras S.p.A.
ANTONELLA MERLONI
Born in Rome in 1965, she graduated in economics and commerce at Bologna University. She is currently chairman of Fineldo Spa. From January 1990 to January 1991 she trained with the accounting firm Poli e Associati in Milan. From January 1991 to September 1996 she was head of Indesit Company communication in the Eastern Europe area, subsequently becoming manager for the Czech market and then the Romanian market. She has been chairman of MP&S since 1996.
From March 2001 to March 2002 she worked in the advisory and M&A division of Cofiri S.p.A.
From May 2002 to June 2006 she was chairman and CEO of Faber Factor SpA, a factoring and leasing company.
Posts held
Chairman Fineldo S.p.A.
ARISTIDE MERLONI
Born in Rome in 1967, he graduated in Political Sciences at the University of Milan in 1996.
As Project Leader he followed the development of the Merloni Group plants in Poland (1996-1998).
Between 1998-1999 he was in the USA, at GEA Boston, as Senior Market Developer.
From 2000 to 2005 he was chairman of Motonline.com.
He has been chairman of Merloni Progetti SpA since 2004.
Posts held
Chairman Merloni Progetti S.p.A., Director Fineldo S.p.A.
MARIA PAOLA MERLONI
She graduated in Political Sciences and since 1989 has held posts of increasing responsibility in the administration area and then in the commercial area of Indesit Company (formerly Merloni Elettrodomestici). She has been in charge of Institutional Relations since 2005 and became a director in 2008.
From 1997 to 2010 she was sole director of “MCP Eventi”, a company that designs and organizes corporate and cultural events in Italy and other countries.
Since 1997 she has held important posts on boards of directors of prestigious companies and the management committees of important associations: CEO of Fineldo (the Merloni family financial holding, of which she is still a director), director of Cinecittà Studios, Panini Spa and Fondazione “Teatro delle Muse” (Ancona), member of the management committee of Associazione Industriali, province of Ancona, Chairwoman of Confindustria Marche, member of the governing body of Confindustria at national level and member of the management committee of Assonime.
In 2006 she became a member of parliament (Ulivo list, DL-Margherita Marche constituency) and a member of Parliamentary Commission for Productive Activities, Commerce and Tourism and Parliamentary Commission 11 for Public and Private Works.
In 2008 she won a seat in parliament with the “Partito Democratico” (as head of the Marche constituency committee), she was shadow-minister for European Community policies and she is a member of Parliamentary Commission 14 for European Union policies and member of Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the phenomenon of counterfeiting and commercial piracy. She also sits on the national direction of the "Partito Democratico".
Posts held
Director Fineldo S.p.A.
PAOLO MONFERINO
Born in Novara in 1946, he took a degree in mechanical engineering at the Politecnico in Turin and joined Fiat in 1973, initially in steel plant design and construction and then in the purchasing department.
In 1981, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, as senior vice president, Worldwide Procurement and Material Management, at Fiat Allis, a joint venture between Fiat’s construction equipment business and the American Allis Chalmers group.
In the 80th he became general manager of the company’s Latin American subsidiary in Brazil and in 1986 its COO. In 1987 he was appointed COO of Fiat Agri, Fiat’s farm machinery division.
Following the 1991 acquisition of Ford New Holland and the creation of New Holland, he was made executive vice president of the newly merged company, leading Strategies and Business Development from its headquarters in London.
From 1996 to 2000 he was executive vice president of Fiat Group with responsibility for the following components manufacturers and other industrial operations: Magneti Marelli, Teksid, Comau-Pico, FiatAvio, Fiat Ferroviaria, Fiat Engineering and Centro Ricerche Fiat.
In 2000, he went back to Chicago as chairman and CEO of CNH (Case New Holland), a world leading manufacturer of farming equipment and construction machinery (with sales of $12bn) formed by the merger of New Holland and Case Corporation.
In 2005, he returned to Italy to become CEO of IVECO, a leading European commercial vehicle maker (sales of €11bn) and its financial joint ventures with Barclays.
He has been at the head of the Health department at Regione Piemonte since December 2010.
Posts held
Director CNH Global N.V., Director Ferrari S.p.A., Director Alleanza Toro S.p.A.
Last update: 29/09/2011
