1.1 Education

My idea about education is simple: “Never stop learning since life never stops teaching”. Therefore, I guess education will be an ongoing journey throughout my life. 
After high school, which focused on humanistic and foreign language majors, I decided to study International Relations, at the Faculty of Political and Social Science at the University of Bologna. During my first years at the university, to be honest, I was more focused on my basketball coaching career than on my studies, altough I earned my Bachelor’s degree in the first available session.

I then moved forward, enrolling in the Master’s of International Relations. Then, I found myself at a crossroads: should I try to become a professional basketball coach or really commit to my studies and build a career around them?

In Bogotá, 2017

Fortunately, I opted for the latter, and I found renewd enthusiasm for my studies. This came with a new mentality that pushed me to always aim for the highest grade. During my thesis, I was awarded a scholarship from the University of Bologna, which allowed me to spend a 4-month period in Colombia to conduct research.

During my time over there, I explored archives from the Colombian Foreign Affairs Ministry and interviewed a dozen Colombian and United Nations officials who had been involved with the Colombian government during the first negotiations between President Pastrana and the FARC guerrillas. My thesis examined the strategic relationship between the Colombian and US governments in fighting illicit drugs, spanning from the 1970s to the early 2000s and the implementation of the so-called “Plan Colombia.” 

My studies in International Relations were extremely interesting and interdisciplinary, with exams offered in three different languages (Italian, English, and even some in Spanish). The major areas of study included international law and economics, political science, sociology, international affairs and strategy, and contemporary history, with a focus on Latin America and Africa.

Nevertheless, after this rich and fascinating path, I realized I wanted to pursue managerial studies abroad. My mentor (more on that later) played a key role here. He helped me understand that managerial or business studies would broaden my career possibilities in both public and private organizations. I would have loved to study in the UK, but I couldn’t afford it. Therefore, the Netherlands, with its extensive offering of English-taught programs and very high-quality educational institutions, proved to be an excellent alternative. Looking back, I would never change this decision—it was a great choice! I was admitted to the University of Groningen, where I had to complete an extra year of studies (called Pre-Master) before being enrolled in the Master of Science in Business Administration, where I chose the Strategic Innovation Management track.

I had to adapt to a new way of studying (more time-paced, collaborative, intense, and standardized) and new subjects, with several courses exploring the interplay between innovation and management. I challenged myself and studied hard, and I was thrilled to see my efforts pay off. After 8+ years at university in 3 different countries, 54 exams and 2 thesis, it was finally time to step into a professional career, altough I had always worked part-time or side jobs throughout my entire university period (I needed the money!).
However, after starting to work for technical companies, I realized that bulding the most complete educational background possible, it would require earning a STEM degree as well. While I did study some math and statistics during my programs, it wasn’t as in-depth as a dedicated STEM course could offer. This has now become one of my next goals, which is why I have recently enrolled in a Bachelor’s program in Mechanical Engineering at the HAW Hamburg. Combining it with a full-time job will be demanding, but I love challenges! I truly want to integrate a humanistic/social science background with a scientific one, as this would certainly benefit both my professional and personal development, deepening my  understanding of todays’ technologies. After all, if life never stops teaching, why should I stop learning?

After my graduation in Groningen, July 2020

1.2 Career

During my first experience abroad in Colombia, I realized that I wanted to pursue my career internationally, conscious of the challenges that I would face. I wanted to broaden my horizons and not feel forced to accept any compromise on that goal. After working side jobs in Italy as a basketball coach during my studies, I started as a working student at Bollegraaf Recycling Solutions in the Netherlands during my Master’s at the University of Groningen. My major tasks involved market research and sales analysis. It was my very first professional experience abroad – a real step into “adulthood”.

EURODEV

After finishing my master’s degree in 2020, I joined another Dutch company, EuroDev, which proved to be an excellent experience for kickstarting my career. This company offered sales outsourcing services to North American companies in Europe. I was assigned to coordinate all business development activities of four mid-sized companies, mostly from the Midwest, across Europe. My tasks involved a variety of sales and key account management activities, with the support of a team of inside sales representatives. All the companies I was assigned to operated in technical fields, with production facilities in the U.S. or Canada.

EuroDev was a real adventure – very intense, but incredibly formative. I got to know the most important players and dynamics in several markets, mainly automotive, food processing, chemical, optics and electronics and HVAC. By the end of this experience, I had visited 58 different companies and 12 trade shows in 16 different countries (including the U.S.) in just under 3 years. I will always be grateful to EuroDev for entrusting me with so many responsibilities early on my career, which helped me grow and learn, outpacing what any other sales job could have offered. I had a dual reporting line: to my manager at EuroDev, and to the VPs or Heads of Sales of the North American partners I represented Europe under their partnership with EuroDev.

During my tenure at EuroDev, I discovered how much I enjoyed working with technical and complex products and solutions. Consequently, I thought that joining a German multinational could be excellent for my personal and career development.

With EuroDev's cow in late 2020

JENOPTIK

Finally, this happened in July 2023, when I moved to Jenoptik, in Jena, Germany. I started as a Key Account Manager in the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing business unit, where I was responsible of coordinating the company’s commercial activity with one of its most important customers. I learned how a large company operates, especially regarding supply chain complexity. Moreover, I could improve my negotiaton skills, particularly with framework agreements. Then, in January 2025 I decided to switch to another Jenoptik’s business unit, which includes a subsidiary based in Hamburg – Trioptics GmbH – focused on optical metrology solutions. I am now back in the capital equipment market, which is something I truly love. I feel that this experience at Jenoptik is grating me the opportunity to fine-tune two important aspects that can shape my career: complex technical sales and global business development, thanks to the company’s worldwide presence with several subsidiaries and distributors in Europe, Asia, Middle East and North America.

1.3 Gratitude

I want to dedicate a few lines to some people who have greatly contributed to making me the person I am today. 

I want to start with Bruno Guandalini, my mentor. He spent almost his entire career at the United Nations, covering very imporant roles among several Latin America countries. His experience and culture could probably not be condensated even in book, as he dealt on a daily basis with very influent people and government officials (including Prime ministers and Presidents) to manage development projects. I met Bruno during my first Master’s in International Relations. Through uncountable hours of conversations, Bruno took time to get to know me well, and he helped me brainstorming ideas. He encouraged me to pursue another Master’s in business or managerial studies, and all his advice have enormously influenced my choices (and still does!). It is impossible to estimate how much I owe him. I consider myself very lucky to have encountered him along my path.

From the professional side, I will always be very grateful to Tim Vaesen, who had the courage to hire me and give me many responsibilities from day one at EuroDev. During that experience, I cannot forget my direct manager José Prieto, and Robert Lytkowski, VP of sales at B&P Littleford (one of the American partner companies I was representing in Europe), who served as a real model for a young professional in technical sales.

Then, some professors whose lectures were so interesting and captivating: Thijs Broekhuizen, Angelo Panebianco, Loris Zanatta and Arrigo Pallotti. By remaining in my heart, their lectures have also remained in my mind. In my basketball career, I cannot forget yo mention Giorgio Tampieri, whose ideas have always been a source of inspiration and reflection. And lastly, my family, who never created me any obstacle for me, for granting me the freedom and trust I needed for living my “international” life.

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