“The reality is that I'm not capable of doing anything else. At my age what can I do but work?” smiles satisfied Enrico Salza on the eve of tenth anniversary of the birth of Tinexta, formerly known as Tecnoinvestimenti, the latest (for now) company born from his talent as an entrepreneur and banker, who has always been able to "see ahead" focused as he is, at 82, on the future. “I made a pact with my wife – he confesses – I'll still enjoy myself for a few more years, let's say six. We will see". Meanwhile, for the birthday of his "creature" he promoted in Venice, the city most loved by Salza, obviously after Turin, a debate on "Doing business in your own time, imagining the future".
But the Venetian days will be an opportunity to take stock of the path taken by Tinexta since October 2009, since Salza, president of the holding company owned by the main Chambers of Commerce, managed to convince the partners to join forces in the field of business information.
Was it a difficult undertaking, Salza?
“No, it wasn't difficult to obtain this result, because over the years I have been able to build consensus around my proposals. Also because – she adds jokingly – my colleagues were too afraid of my bad character to dare to say no to me ”.
He jokes, but not too much, as he adds...
“Over the years I have realized that to achieve goals it is much more effective to be feared than loved”.
But, beyond the charisma of the former president of Intesa Sanpaolo, a tough frown that encloses a generous heart, what encouraged Tinexta to take off was the validity of the initial business-idea: creating support to help businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to face a market in which not only digital innovation plays an increasingly important role. And how did the chambers of commerce respond?
“Turin, of course, immediately said yes to me – recalls Salza – together with Milan, which was then strengthened with the union with Monza. The agreement also concerned Florence, Bologna, Alessandria and Padua. But I was able to involve Rome in the enterprise as well, a feat that is not always easy”.
And with this company that started a company solidly inserted at the beginning in the public area but with a strong market vocation?
“Yes, right from the beginning of our activities, our goal has been to respond to the needs of the market and to adapt to its rules. Today all our activity takes place in sectors open to the market and to competition. And in recent years we have established ourselves as one of the best listed companies. In 2014 we entered Aim, the Borsa Italiana market dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises - recalls the chairman - with a capital increase of 22,8 million euros accompanied by a public offering of new shares at 3,40 EUR".
Now what?
”In 2016 the company moved, after a new capital increase, to the Star segment of Piazza Affari. And now the quotation has reached 12 euros with an increase that has exceeded 90% since the beginning of the year. With a governance that includes seven independent directors out of eleven”.
To what is this success due?
“Il financial result is the mirror of the path of these ten years in which Tinexta has transformed itself into an integrated group of high value-added services aimed at businesses, banks and professionals, laying solid foundations to confirm the leadership position achieved in Italy over the next three years and grow in Europe where we are aiming for leadership in Digital Trust through M&A operations”.
In short, Italy is starting to feel tight.
“In 2018, through Infocert, which was our first acquisition, today it is the Italian leader in digitization services, we took control of Camerfirma, the Spanish digital certification authority. In September, again through InfoCert, an agreement was signed for the acquisition of 50% of LuxTrust, the leading Digital Trust company in Luxembourg. I'll point out one thing to you."
That?
“We were the first Italians to land a majority in that market. Today the joint venture between InfoCert and Lux Trust and the control of Camerfirma constitutes a fundamental step towards the goal of creating the pan-European leader in the Trust Service Provider sector, a goal that we can also reach because once again, as I often happened, I have a great team, starting with the managing director Pier Andrea Chevallard, one of the architects of our success. It was he who convinced me that we needed a name and a brand capable of speaking in all languages, symbolic and effective. Tinexta combines a captivating aesthetic with a sense of dynamism. It is a brand that looks forward”.
Just as the company which, thanks to a business model structured around digital marketing, digital transformation and cyber security services/products, has what it takes to achieve the objectives set for 2019: 250 million Revenues and EBITDA between 68 and 70 million euros. Waiting for new firsts.
