Press Release
‘Captains of the Year 2015 Award’
Entrepreneurs setting the pace for growth
Florence, 10 October 2015 – Italy is still one of the most beautiful places for
designing the future. Statement confirmed by the conversations and different
accents of the entrepreneurs and businessmen and women who gathered together
this morning at Castello di Poppiano di Montespertoli, of the Guicciardini family, for
the Tuscan edition of the ‘Captains of the Year 2015 Award’. A message of optimism
delivered by the entrepreneurs and businessmen and women who highlighted the
importance of ideas and courage, fundamental characteristics for the many sound
and dynamic entities of our Country.
The award, created and organized by journalist Fabio Raffaelli, in collaboration with
Schroders Wealth Management, Studio Legale Lombardi Molinari Segni and with
the support of Borsa Italiana, gave a voice to the names of historic Tuscan
entrepreneurship, like Lamberto Frescobaldi, as well as emerging personalities like
Marioluca Giusti, who with his colorful works of design has filled the homes of VIPs
and the halls of some of the most important hotels in the world. Bringing tradition
to the table were brothers Dino and Mario Martelli producers of ‘La pasta dei
Martelli’, as well as Roberto Bartolozzi of Vetreria Etrusca.
This Tuscan edition of ‘Captains’ included some of the key players representing
made in Tuscany like Massimo Marotta of DeWalt Industrial Tools, the largest
company in the world to manufacture power tools and accessories; Alessandro
Vivarelli of Solos, leader for the design of anticounterfeit systems; Alessandro
Targioni of Manifatture Toscane Ta-bru, specialized in natural textiles; Piero Colzi
head of a company that is a point of reference in the world of machinery production
for leather manufacturing; Roberto Lapi leader of the chemistry company that bears
his name; and Fabio Boschi, CEO of Faper Group, holding company which operates
with the support of
in the tissue machinery and super yacht industries and oversees a celebrated
Viareggio shipyard.
“Each one of our events – said Raffaelli – speaks to the large majority of
entrepreneurs. A prize aimed at recognizing individual courage before any balance
statement, a public ‘thank you’ to all those businessmen and women who every day
put themselves at risk in order to create job opportunities and develop technological
innovation. People who fight against an economic crisis without precedent and
within the context of an increasingly competitive market. Of course – concluded the
event organizer – the Award is also an occasion to take a better look at our current
situations and discuss what challenges we are facing and how we can improve them,
in addition to being a great, direct experience for the many young people who at
each edition of ‘Captains’ have filled the rooms”.
“We are proud – stated Ugo Formenton, Head of Business Development at
Schroders Wealth Management – to support an initiative that puts entrepreneurs
of industry, culture and research at the center. The Captains of the Year Award is an
important occasion to commend historical entrepreneurship with strong territorial
roots that has been able to excel and spread the concept of Made in Italy
throughout the world”.
“We are proud to be part of an event that promotes Italian entrepreneurship and
Italian Excellence” said Giuseppe Lombardi, lawyer and chairman of Studio Legale
Lombardi Molinari Segni. “This year, for the first time, we have decided to stand
beside the entrepreneurs of the Tuscan edition of the ‘Captains of the Year 2015’
award, an event that celebrates the courage, dedication and passion of so many
businessmen and women who focus their company’s businesses around activities of
R&D, a true means for ‘bringing forward’ the growth of our Country”.
The ‘Captains of the Year’ Award does not only aim at recognizing great
entrepreneurship but serves as a showcase for promoting an important part of our
culture. At Castello di Poppiano winners who received the ‘Captains of Culture’
Award included: Fabio Picchi, chef of Il Cibrèo; Simone Magherini, chairman of
Fondazione Vittorio e Piero Alinari, founded on 12 February 1974 as a bequest of
Anna Maria (daughter of Vittorio and sister of Piero), last descendant of the great
family of photographers; Toni Scervino for the international brand Ermanno
with the support of
Scervino, an important name in fashion and Italian elegance; Paolo Carrara,
Chairman of the Fondazione Un Raggio di Luce Onlus, organization whose goal is to
improve the quality of life for disadvantaged communities through direct action and
support; and Christian Cipriani, Professor at the Bio-Robotic Institute of Scuola
Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa for the “My Hand” project, a new prosthetic hand with
high dexterity, equipped with touch sensors able to grasp and perform the hand
postures that are necessary for daily life. Finally, after Francesco Totti in 2013 and
Vincenzo Nibali in 2014, the prestigious award for ‘Sport Captains’ went to excenter forward of the Florence soccer team Christian Riganò, top scorer that from
2002 to 2005 returned the ‘Purple Team’ from C2 to the A league.
This event has also taken place thanks to the collaboration of ADACI and Air Berlin.
with the support of
CAPTAINS 2015 Award winners
Montespertoli 10 October 2015 Castello di Poppiano
Lamberto Frescobaldi
Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi
Roberto Bartolozzi
Vetreria Etrusca
Massimo Marotta
Dewalt industrial tools
Marioluca Giusti
Marioluca Giusti
Alessandro Vivarelli
Solos
Alessandro Targioni
Ta-Bru
Dino e Mario Martelli
La Pasta dei Martelli
Piero Colzi
Colzi
Roberto Lapi
Lapi Group
Fabio Boschi
Faper Group
Fabio Boschi
with the support of
CAPTAINS of Culture
Simone Magherini
Fondazione Vittorio e Piero Alinari
Fabio Picchi
Ristorante il Cibrèo
Toni Scervino
Ermanno Scervino
Sport CAPTAINS
Christian Riganò
CAPTAINS for Solidarity
Paolo Carrara
Fondazione Un Raggio di Luce
Scientific Research CAPTAINS
Christian Cipriani
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa Mang. of Project MY HAND
with the support of