Keynote speech

Speakers

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  Virginia Stagni Head of Business Development & FT Talent Challenge Director, Financial Times
  

  Virginia Stagni

  Head of Business Development & FT Talent Challenge Director, Financial Times

  Born in 1993, with a BSc from Bocconi University and MSc in Media & Communications from London School of Economics, Virginia Stagni is the youngest manager of Financial Times in its over 130 year history, playing a central role in the global financial newspaper’s strategic growth. As Head of Business Development & FT Talent Director in the Commercial Department, she has the key role in keeping Financial Times one of the most innovative media groups in the marketplace, Stagni oversees developing new business ideas and opportunities for growth that reflect FT’s sustainable business model, with particular attention towards future readers, especially women and those under 30, and recruiting young talent to the company.

  Stagni is the founder and director of FT Talent Challenge, an innovative hub that attracts hundreds of young students and professionals from diverse backgrounds all over the world. She is also an advisor for the consulting society FT Strategies, which she co-created with the data department. And Stagni doesn’t stop there: she holds a board position for the International Media and News Association (INMA) and seats on other advisory boards – from consumer products groups to startups.

  She was selected for the Forbes Italia Under 30 list in 2021, Fortune Under 40 2021 list, and in 2020 she received the “International Media and News Association (INMA) 30 Under 30” award, for the category of Business Intelligence, recognized as one of best innovators under 30 in the field of digital media. Other honours include the 2020 Italia Giovane prize, rewarding Italian excellence in the world at large.

  She is also a TED Talk Speaker, an author and essayist: Dreamers Who Do: Intrapreneurship and the Future of the News (Bocconi University Press, 2021) is her first book. She has a monthly column for La Repubblica – Italian Tech “Dreamers Who Do” and she writes for other publications.

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  Federico Silvestri CEO 24 Ore Eventi
  

  Federico Silvestri

  CEO 24 Ore Eventi

  Federico Silvestri has been General Manager since 1 October 2018 of 24 ORE System, the advertising agency of the 24 ORE Group. He is currently also Managing Director of 24 Ore Cultura and Sole 24 Ore Eventi and General Manager of Radio 24. On behalf of the 24 ORE Group, he is also Managing Director of the subsidiaries 24 Ore U.K. and 24 Ore U.s.a., President of T.E.R. (Tavolo Editori Radiofonici), and board member of PER (Player Editori Radiofonici) and AUDIPRESS; he is member of the Federal Council of FCP (Federazione delle Concessionarie Pubblicità), and member of the General Council of Confindustria Radio TV, of AICC Confindustria (Associaz. Imprese Culturali e Creative) and ASSOLOMBARDA (Media Group).
  Born in Milan in 1971, a graduate in law at the “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Silvestri has held various positions during his professional career with some of the major publishing groups and advertising agencies.
  He started out in the personal finance area at Deutsche Bank, then moved on to the Radiocor division of the 24 ORE Group as Account Manager for Major Clients. In 2001, he took part in the start-up of e.Biscom (later Fastweb). After three years in the Broadcast division of RCS MediaGroup, which dealt with radio and content production, he was appointed Business Development Manager at Ansa.
  During his following 10 year-stint at PRS Mediagroup, where he was CEO of all the Group companies, he was in charge of advertising sales and led the Group in the expansion of business in the publishing field through a series of start-ups and acquisitions.

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  Orson Francescone Managing Director, FT Live at Financial Times
  

  Orson Francescone

  Managing Director, FT Live at Financial Times

  Orson Francescone has worked in the b2b media and events industry for over 15 years. He has led global conference and exhibitions businesses for Euromoney Institutional Investor, the Daily Mail Group and Haymarket Media. Since November 2019 he is Managing Director of FT Live, the global event business of the Financial Times. Throughout his career he has specialised at enabling publishers to monetise their audiences and drive high margin revenues via all formats of events. From conferences, to awards to large scale exhibitions and trade shows and more recently through digital events. He has launched and run some of the world’s most successful and award winning events including Gastec, the Festival of Work and, more recently The Global Boardroom .