Post by Riccardo Illy

Riccardo Illy is the Chairman of Polo del Gusto, the holding company for Gruppo Illy's non-coffee businesses, with controlling interests in a number of world-class producers of chocolate, tea, wine, and confections. The Illy Brand has a passion for quality and growth pursued the right way: this has led to rewarding investments in everything from Domori's legendary chocolates to Mastrojanni's magnificent wines. After holding the position of Chief Executive Officer in illycaffè, Riccardo Illy embarks on a political career, becoming Mayor of Trieste from 1993 to 2001.  In 2001 he was elected Deputy of the Italian Parliament and, from 2003 to 2008, President of the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and President of the Assembly of European Regions. In 2000 he received the Honoris Causa Degree in Political Science from the University of Trieste and in 2009 he was conferred the title of Grande Ufficiale.  In 2020, The English Royal House appointed him as Royal Warrant Holder for PRESTAT, the historic chocolate brand acquired by Domori in 2019.  Since 2020 he has been Honorary Consul of the French Republic in Trieste. He regularly lectures at business schools worldwide, from Stanford in the United States to HEC Paris to MIB Trieste School of Management in Trieste.  He is the Academic Director at Italia Innovation, an organization that fosters research, education, and new ventures in the manufacturing economy with a humanistic approach. Riccardo Illy is a freelance journalist and author of several books: The Art of Excellent Products: Enchanting Customers with Premium Brand Experiences, published by HarperCollins Leadership, is his fifth publication.