Today, the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano awarded the honor of Cavaliere del Lavoro to 25 Italian personalities who have distinguished themselves in various sectors of the economy, contributing to social, occupational and technological development and to the growth of the prestige of Made in Italy.
Among the best-sounding names of the new Knights of the Republic appears Vittorio Colao, CEO of the Vodafone group, which is based in London and is the second largest mobile phone company on a global scale, with 252 million customers. Colao is one of the most prominent Italian managers, precisely because he leads an international giant which, among other things, is expected to have a substantial acquisition campaign in the coming months. As far as the world of finance is concerned, Federico Ghizzoni (CEO of Unicredit) was awarded, who by combining a strong focus on risk and interventions on the cost side with a constant drive for innovation, has developed for 2014-2018 a strategic plan which envisages 4,5 billion euro of investments in specific group transformation projects.
Mario Greco is also a new Cavaliere del Lavoro, since 2012 he has been Group CEO of Assicurazioni Generali, a leading company in Italy – where it has been active since 1831 – and one of the most important international insurance and financial companies. The Greco-managed Group has a significant presence in more than 60 countries and employs 77.000 people.
Marco Jacobini, president and CEO of Banca Popolare di Bari, an institution that cultivates a close link with the reference area, was also awarded, supporting numerous initiatives for the conservation and development of the natural and artistic heritage.
Among the well-known faces of these awards there is also the son of the owner of Luxottica Claudio Del Vecchio. President and CEO of Brooks Brothers Group, Del Vecchio has relaunched the historic brand of shirts worn by Warhol, Gatsby and the Kennedys and has created around the brand a diversified manufacturing and commercial group that operates with a portfolio of companies specializing in the fashion, which includes - in addition to Brooks Brothers - Southwick and Carolee Designs.
Finally, still in the field of fashion, Rosita Missoni was awarded the honor of Cavaliere del Lavoro Jelmini. In her career she has received many prestigious national and international artistic, academic and fashion world awards, among which the 1973 “Neiman Marcus Fashion Award”, an award equivalent to the Oscar for fashion, stands out. Today Missoni represents an excellence of "made in Italy" and is one of the absolute protagonists of the success of Italian fashion in the world, for 61 years at the helm of Missoni SpA.
