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| Corrado Passera | |
|---|---|
| Name | Corrado Passera |
| Birth date | 1954-12-13 |
| Birth place | Como |
| Nationality | Italy |
| Occupation | Banker, Manager, Politician |
| Alma mater | Bocconi University |
Corrado Passera
Corrado Passera is an Italian banker, manager and former politician who held senior roles in Italian and international finance and industry before serving as Minister of Economic Development, Infrastructure and Transport in the cabinet of Enrico Letta. He led major enterprises and financial institutions and later founded a political movement, while participating on numerous corporate and non‑profit boards. Passera's career spans roles at Procter & Gamble, Banca Intesa, Mediobanca, Telecom Italia, and the Italian government.
Born in Como in 1954, Passera studied at Bocconi University in Milan, obtaining a degree in economics and later undertaking postgraduate studies and management training linked to institutions such as Harvard Business School and INSEAD. His early professional formation included exposure to multinational corporations and Italian financial centers around Milan and London, connecting him with figures from Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Fiat, and Generali. During this period he developed networks involving executives from JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche Bank.
Passera joined Procter & Gamble and later moved into banking and corporate finance, working at Mediobanca where he collaborated with bankers linked to Eni, Agip, Telecom Italia Mobile, Pirelli, and Olivetti. He later served as CEO of Banca Intesa following mergers that involved Sanpaolo IMI, Banca Commerciale Italiana, Banco Ambrosiano Veneto, and corporate groups like Benetton Group and SACE. As head of banking operations he negotiated transactions with counterparties such as Generali Group, Assicurazioni Generali, RCS MediaGroup, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and Milan Chamber of Commerce entities. Passera then became CEO of Banca Intesa's successor structures and was named CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo-linked operations and later assumed leadership at Telecom Italia during restructuring that included interactions with KPN, Telefonica, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Codere, and sovereign investors from Qatar Investment Authority and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.
Appointed in the cabinet of Enrico Letta in April 2013, Passera took charge of portfolios encompassing Ministry of Economic Development (Italy), Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (Italy), and state-owned enterprise oversight, liaising with entities such as Anas, Ferrovie dello Stato, ENI, Enel, Terna, Rai, and Finmeccanica. His ministerial tenure involved negotiations with regional administrations like Lombardy, Lazio, Campania, Sicily, and stakeholders including Confindustria, Confcommercio, CGIL, CISL, UIL, Unioncamere, and European Commission officials from Brussels. Policy actions touched on reforming regulatory frameworks linked to Antitrust Authority (Italy), infrastructure projects such as high‑speed rail lines involving Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, port upgrades coordinated with Port of Genoa and Port of Naples, and public‑private partnership deals with global firms including Vinci, Atlantia, Snam, ENEL Green Power, and Siemens. Passera's ministry interacted with European institutions like the European Investment Bank, European Central Bank, and officials from Commissioner Joaquín Almunia's team during competition and state aid assessments.
After government service, Passera announced the launch of the political project Italia Unica—a centrist liberal movement that sought alliances with parties such as Forza Italia, Partito Democratico, Scelta Civica, New Centre-Right (Italy), Fratelli d'Italia, and liberal groups in the European Parliament including European People's Party. Italia Unica positioned itself in relation to Italian political figures like Matteo Renzi, Silvio Berlusconi, Pier Luigi Bersani, Angelino Alfano, and commentators from Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, Il Sole 24 Ore, and Il Giornale. The movement attempted organizational ties with civic groups, local administrations in Milan, Rome, Turin, and trade associations such as Confapi and Confartigianato.
Following his political engagement, Passera returned to the private sector, holding board positions and advisory roles at multinational and Italian entities including Telecom Italia Sparkle, Autogrill, Enel, Intesa Sanpaolo, Ernst & Young, Bain & Company, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Pirelli, Assicurazioni Generali, Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione Feltrinelli, Collegio Carlo Alberto, Harvard Kennedy School guest programs, and international forums such as the World Economic Forum and the G20. He served on supervisory boards interacting with investors from BlackRock, Vanguard, Hermes, Carlyle Group, KKR, and sovereign funds like CDP and QIA. Passera also participated in initiatives with OECD, IMF, United Nations, UNIDO, and Italian research institutes like ISTAT and Bank of Italy think tanks.
Passera is married and has family ties to the Como area; he resides between Milan and Como and engages with cultural institutions such as La Scala, Museo del Novecento, Brera Academy, and philanthropic foundations including Fondazione Cariplo and Save the Children Italy. He has been recognized with national and international honours from institutions like the President of the Italian Republic and orders linked to Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana and received awards from trade bodies including Confindustria and academic recognitions from Bocconi University, University of Milan, and Polytechnic University of Milan.
Category:1954 births Category:Italian bankers Category:Italian politicians Category:Living people