ONE DREAM - ONE TEAM
Design Italy’s people passionately share the goal of promoting Italian design in the world.
ROBERTO FERRARI
FOUNDER & CEO
Roberto founded Design Italy with his wife, Paola, following decades as an executive, advisor and investor in key multinational and Italian companies in the world of digital business and innovation. He has served as Chief Digital & Innovation Officer of Mediobanca, General Manager of CheBanca!, and Marketing Director of Procter & Gamble.
PAOLA SERENA
CO-FOUNDER & GENERAL MANAGER
Paola co-founded Design Italy with her husband, Roberto, and oversees all Design Italy staff, policies and procedures. She has a background in economics and throughout her career has worked for social change through an entrepreneurial approach within the third sector. She has also put her entrepreneurial skills to use in the hotel sector and has successfully founded two start-ups.
MARINA BONFRATE
CFO & OPERATIONS MANAGER
Marina has worked for over a decade and a half for leading luxury companies, holding positions in finance and retail finance. She plans, implements and manages all Design Italy’s finance activities, investor relationships and compliance, and oversees organizational processes.
EMANUELE DRAGO
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Emanuele is a visual artist and has been creating art with various mediums for over 20 years. He also works as a design consultant, theater director and costume designer. He is in charge of Design Italy’s creative direction and oversees the company’s overall strategic vision.
CINZIA GAMBINI
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Cinzia has decades of experience working for prestigious furnishing and design companies in a business development role, both in Italy and abroad. She is responsible for Design Italy’s business growth and continual scouting of new designers and artisans.
ANTONIO GNASSI
SEO & DIGITAL MARKETING ADVISOR
Antonio is a journalist, SEO and social media expert, lecturer for university courses, and has worked as communications manager for Olympic games, sports tournaments and championships. He works with Design Italy in defining the company's SEO and marketing strategies.
ALESSANDRA PERROTTA
CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
Alessandra has a passion for e-commerce businesses and throughout her career over the past decade and a half has worked for various digital marketplaces. She oversees Design Italy’s customer service relations, supplier management, logistics and trade marketing..
CHIARA COLMEGNA
SENIOR MERCHANDISING SPECIALIST
Chiara has a master’s degree in Art History and over her career has worked cataloging artwork for a variety of art galleries. She is responsible for overseeing Design Italy’s merchandising strategy and catalog and the building of the website’s digital content.
LEONARDO NIETO
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Leonardo was born and raised in Colombia and moved to Florence, Italy to get his master’s degree in Brand Design and Management at the IED design institute in Florence. At Design Italy, he creates, designs and updates all visual aspects while driving the company’s branding.
FRANCESCO LEOPIZZI
MERCHANDISING SPECIALIST
Francesco has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Business Communication from the Catholic University of Milan and has experience in product management. He assists in creating, uploading and managing Design Italy’s catalog and digital content.
SHERIN KODIKARAGE
GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST
Sherin has a bachelor’s degree in Media Design and Multimedia Arts from NABA, the New Academy of Fine Arts in Milan and is pursuing her master’s degree in 3D Modeling. She is part of Design Italy’s team of graphic designers and assists with all aspects of company visuals.
MURIEL MORIN
FRENCH CONTENT SPECIALIST
Muriel spent her career teaching, after which she worked as a translator for publishing houses. She also collaborated for a decade and a half with CSIL, a center for the analysis of market strategies for the furniture and lighting industries. She works with Design Italy on all aspects of the company’s website content in French.
TASSILO BOGNER
GERMAN CONTENT SPECIALIST
Tassilo is completing his bachelor’s degree in Geography at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He works with Design Italy on all aspects of the company’s website content in German.
MIA
FEEL-GOOD MANAGER
Mia is a frequent Design Italy Employee of the Month. She not only creates a positive atmosphere in the office but also ensures that the entire team gets enough outdoor exercise and keeps in shape during working hours. She is an expert in naps, treats and taking long walks in Milan.
CRISTINA MOROZZI
Creator & Curator – The MAG
Cristina has spent decades working as a journalist, critic, and curator of art and design exhibitions. She has authored multiple books, writes for fashion and design magazines, and lectures at the IULM University in Milan. She is the editor-in-chief of Design Italy’s monthly publication The Mag
ANTONELLA DEDINI
CREATOR & CURATOR - THE LIST
Antonella is an architect, designer, lectures at prestigious universities, has authored multiple publications, and founded the Milano Design Film Festival. She is the author of Design Italy’s monthly blog publication The List