5 Names Rewriting Italy's Economy

Anton Giulio Grande

For over twenty-five years, Anton Giulio Grande has been a defining presence in Italian haute couture. Originally from Lamezia Terme, he left his hometown at just 17 to study at Polimoda in Florence and later at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. At only 23, he launched his label and began showcasing collections worldwide, starting with the iconic Donna sotto le Stelle runway in Rome's Piazza di Spagna.

Renowned for designs celebrating sensuality, elegance, intricate embroidery, theatricality, and luxury, Grande has dressed some of the most iconic women in entertainment and cinema. Passionate about art and literature, his creations have graced red carpets, magazine covers, and even museum exhibitions.

His work has been admired at national and international Fashion Weeks, most recently at Milano Fashion Week, where he is a recurring presence. Grande has received numerous awards for his unique style and cultural richness. He is considered a true ambassador of Made in Italy, with garments handcrafted in Italian ateliers to the highest standards.

He also teaches fashion and art at various universities, and his couture has often been the subject of academic theses. Today, he serves as President of the Calabria Film Commission, promoting the region through cinema and television. He was recently awarded the "Parole Aperte" Prize at the Vatican for his contribution to fashion and culture. Grande has also been appointed to the Interuniversity Council of Cultural, Architectural, Landscape, Environmental, and Tourism Heritage of the Humanitas University Consortium.

Andrea Bertoni

Selected among Forbes' Top 100 Managers, Andrea Bertoni heads Davis & Morgan, an investment bank specializing in the acquisition and management of distressed assets. Today, he is one of the key players in Italy's NPL (non-performing loan) sector.

Among his bank's shareholders are the Oetker family, famous in Europe for owning the Hero jam brand, among others. Bertoni has led major turnaround deals, including the Gucci penthouse in San Babila and the sale of Franco Mare, now known as Vesta Beach, to the Del Vecchio family. In both cases, he acquired distressed debt from banks and successfully revived the businesses.

His industrial group includes Bertoni Costruzioni, real estate companies, and a fintech vertical. His latest creation is the app @assetfinding, which uses artificial intelligence and proprietary algorithms to allow anyone to buy and sell NPLs. This game-changer democratizes access to a once-complex financial asset class.

Passionate about fashion, Bertoni is a constant presence at Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, with a social media following of over 1.3 million followers on Instagram: @andreabertonireal.

Aldo Corbo

Aldo Corbo, founder of Centro Dentale CORBO, was born in a small town in Agrigento, Sicily. In 2006, after regulatory changes liberalized the dental sector in Italy, he was among the first entrepreneurs to reshape the dental business model.

With rising costs that forced many Italians to seek treatment abroad, Corbo innovated by cutting out intermediaries. He built his own lab, invested in equipment to produce dental implants in-house, and negotiated directly with suppliers. This allowed him to reduce costs significantly and attract international patients to his central clinic in Sicily.

Today, he has established partnerships with clinics across Italy, expanded into major cities, created new jobs, and responded to a growing demand for his services.

Domenico Ferraro

For Domenico Ferraro, high-end watchmaking has always been more than a passion - it's a calling. In 2010, he launched D. & E. Luxury Watches, which focused on the trade and appreciation of luxury timepieces.

In 2017, he expanded with an in-house service lab, further elevating the brand's reputation. Ferraro has consistently championed the fight against counterfeiting in the luxury watch world, building a reputation rooted in authenticity and trust.

Now, the company is opening a new 500 sqm headquarters in Campania, featuring a 400 sqm private lab, set to become one of the largest in Europe. The expansion will add over 20 highly specialized employees, solidifying D. & E.'s position as a leader in high-end horology that blends tradition, innovation, and professional excellence.

Paolo Bonetti

Paolo Bonetti is a visionary in integrated digital consulting. Born in 1985, he is an engineer, entrepreneur, and innovator with one mission: turning digital tools into fundamental growth drivers for businesses.

Raised in a family where art met entrepreneurship, Bonetti developed a unique perspective early on. His mother, a painter, shaped his creative sensitivity, while his father, a consultant, instilled business rigor. His sister, who runs a successful ad agency, further influenced his path as he immersed himself in digital strategy.

Over time, he founded or co-founded a cluster of synergistic companies, offering clients a single point of reference for everything digital - from strategy to execution. Hybrid Digital Consultancy (hybrid.one), the group's orchestrator, offers elite in-house talent in digital strategy, ADV, performance marketing, and business intelligence, and Akuna Matata (akuna-matata.com), a national agency founded by his sister in 2001. Other creative endeavors include: Becreatives (becreatives.com), specializing in proprietary tech development and consulting, Chupito (chupito.it), focusing on viral edutainment video production, Meeting Hub (meeting-hub.net), a leading platform for event venue booking, and Slesh (slesh.it), a company that is revolutionizing the event industry with cashless NFC tech for festivals and entertainment.

With over 100 digital professionals under his wing, Bonetti continues to design solutions that are not only cutting-edge but deeply human-centric, helping businesses thrive in an increasingly complex digital world.

Italy is renowned for its luxury goods and fine products, though it has recently declined in the global market. It is not because of the country's quality of style; rather, it reflects a macroeconomic trend. However, these five industry leaders are reversing the course, which helps Italy reclaim its global stature. These innovators realize the significance of evolving into a digital economy and use their knowledge to help Italy grow into its next economic phase.