Paolo Marcesini

Editor-in-Chief, Italia Circolare

Filippo Fabbri

Managing Director, Despar Italia

Born in Milan in 1966, Filippo Fabbri has a degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan with a specialisation in Marketing. He began his professional career at Seagram where he worked in marketing with increasing responsibility for 7 years. In 1998 he joined Metro Cash & Carry, where he held various roles in Italy and abroad until he joined the board of Metro Italia in 2007 as Food Procurement & Merchandising Director. He then took on the role of Purchasing and Marketing Director for the Argenta Group, a leader in the vending machine sector, where he worked for 5 years. In 2014, he joined the Granarolo S.p.A. business unit as Purchasing and Marketing Director, with commercial responsibility for Foodservice and management of the pre-sales network dedicated to traditional retail and horeca. Prior to his current position as General Manager of Despar Italia, Fabbri was, from 2017, Fresh and Very Fresh Product Director of Auchan Retail Italia. In this role he was responsible for defining the commercial policy of the fresh and freschissimi departments.

Alberto Miraglia

Managing Director, Retail Institute Italy

Milanese, 56 years old, with a degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University, is the current General Manager of Retail Institute Italy, a historic Association founded in 1995 whose mission is to promote the culture and development of the Retail sector and which can count on support from over 200 member companies. And in the Retail sector, Miraglia has consolidated an experience of over 25 years, first in the Rinascente Group and later in Auchan. In addition, the experience of a few years in the marketing of the food industry, in Cirio-Bertolli-DeRica, has helped to reinforce his passion for product development, which is fundamental for the subsequent activity in the field of Private Label. His professional career has allowed him to range in various fundamental fields for the Retail business in the functions of Private Label Director, Offer Director (Category Management) and Marketing Director. Private Label expert, he was a supporter of the development and launch for Auchan in Italy of the branded product lines in the Organic and typical products segments (I Sapori delle Regioni) as well as the development of the Blockchain project for Fresh products.

Loris Pedon

CEO, Pedon

Class of 1976, Loris Pedon obtained a degree in Political Science from the University of Padova with specialisation in socioeconomics, followed by a master’s degree in marketing from IED Communication of Milan. Over the years he has covered various roles within the company, first alongside his father Sergio in the sales department to contributing to the creation of the HR department in 2008, in the role of Human Resources Manager. In 2012 he took on the role of General Manager and became advocate and promotor of a modern management system that led to the introduction of new, high-profile figures within the company in order to respond to the evolution already taking place towards an ever more managerial administration. He has matured numerous skills, from maintaining business relations with buyers of organised and discount retailers, to the management of a sales network and the development of skills in human sciences applied to the business world. A marked path, versatile and expressly open on various fronts, that allowed for an extensive and profound formation in anticipation of the role of CEO, assumed in December 2018, and the consequent entrance in the Board of Directors.

Fabio Sordi

Commercial Director, Selex Gruppo Commerciale

55 years old, married with three guys and two dogs. Passionate about rugby and scuba diving. Graduate in Science of Animal Production at University of Milan. Commercial Director at Selex, dealing with both A-Brand and Private Label, cooperating with our Italian purchasing group ESD and International EMD. First working experience in the food-industry at Nestlé as Chief of Salami Department in Vismara and then as Meat Buyer for the Fresh Product Department. Moved on to Modern Trade as Salami and Frozen Food Buyer at Gruppo Rinascente Città Mercato-Sma, which then become Auchan Italia. There I spent my career in purchasing and category management, with the opportunity of managing a pilot store specialized in frozen-food, until becoming Market and Purchasing Director representing the entire Gruppo Auchan Italia both at Italian Purchasing Group Intermedia and at Auchan International Purchasing Bureau in France. There, in Lille, I lived my last experience in Auchan.