PAST EVENTS

Milan, the Place to Be

Portrait Milano - 13 January 2025

In recent years, global headlines have crowned Milan as “the new London,” “Europe’s capital of the future,” and “the centre of a new cool.” Yet beyond the international spotlight, Milan’s true essence lies in its people — and in the vibrant community of Milanese women, both native and international, who embody the city’s evolving spirit.

A beautiful gathering hosted by Michela Proietti, best-selling author and Corriere della Sera journalist, brought together an inspiring group of international Milanese women for breakfast at Portrait Milano, one of the city’s most elegant new landmarks.

The morning perfectly reflected the Milan of today — elegant, dynamic, and deeply connected, filled with authenticity, creativity, and optimism.
A heartfelt thank you to Michela for uniting such an extraordinary group of women and celebrating what truly makes Milan shine.

🎥 Watch the reels: Milan, the Place to Be and La Milanese by Solferino Editori

“Parlami di Europa” – Rethinking Europe’s Narrative

Milan, 23 January 2024

I had the pleasure of joining “Parlami di Europa – Inclusiva, Coesa e Sostenibile”, an event hosted by Mayor Fabio Bottero of Trezzano sul Naviglio, which brought together citizens and leaders to discuss Europe’s challenges and opportunities.

In my remarks, I reflected on both the beauty and the complexity of the European dream — shaped by years abroad between the UK and Switzerland — and on the urgent need to rebuild a balanced, fact-based narrative about Europe and Italy. Too often, media bias and misinformation distort reality, fuelling stereotypes and Euroscepticism.

Italy remains a pillar of the EU, yet must rediscover confidence in its strengths and communicate them with clarity, pride, and optimism.
Only through unity, data, and collaboration can Europe’s shared growth and cohesion truly take shape.

The “Brain Return”: Why Experienced Expats Are Choosing to Come Back to Italy

Milan, 11 April 2023

In recent years, alongside the much-discussed “brain drain” of young talent, a new and promising phenomenon has emerged — the “brain return” of Italy’s first generation of expats: professionals who chose to build their careers abroad and are now coming home.

As Manuela Andaloro, marketing and communications consultant for international companies, explains:

“What drives many of us to return to Italy goes far beyond fiscal incentives. The impatriate regime certainly helps attract both foreign and returning talent, but there’s much more to it.”

After fifteen years between London and Zurich, Andaloro decided to return to her native Milan, drawn by the city’s quality of life, culture, education, and sense of community.

“Professionals with international experience choose Milan for its open society, strong social fabric, beautiful surroundings, and increasingly digital public services. It’s a place where work and well-being can coexist.”

This growing movement reflects a shift in mindset: a desire to reinvest global experience into Italy’s future.

🔗 Read the full reflection on Key2people Executive Search

Mentorship Milano – Talent. Generosity. Determination.

Milan, Palazzo Marino, 25 January 2023

I am honoured to serve as an official Mentor for Mentorship Milano, the first public women-to-women mentoring program launched by the City of Milan as part of its Patto per il Lavoro initiative.

The project connects accomplished Milanese women from the worlds of business, finance, culture, fashion, and design with young women aged 16 to 30, with the goal of helping them develop their potential, strengthen their confidence, and build their professional paths.

This initiative embodies a powerful idea: that by fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, and by sharing experience, empathy, and knowledge, we can help close the gender gap and promote women’s empowerment, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

🔗 Learn more on the City of Milan website: Mentorship Milano – Patto per il Lavoro
🔗 Read my reflections on LinkedIn: Memento Audere Semper

WealthTech and AI for Increased Financial Well-Being
UK FinTech Mission to Switzerland and Western Europe – Zurich, March 3, 2022

Financial well-being has never been more important. At the UK FinTech Mission to Switzerland and Western Europe 2022, industry leaders and policymakers explored how WealthTech, data, and AI can drive a more inclusive and sustainable financial ecosystem.

Governments, financial institutions, and technology providers play a pivotal role in promoting financial literacy, democratising access to wealth management and retail banking, and addressing key societal challenges such as the gender pension gap and the post-pandemic reshaping of work.

The discussion underscored that technology can act as a mechanism for sustainable growth, social equity, and financial empowerment.

💡 Discover key insights and possible paths forward for AI and financial well-being.

Horasis Extraordinary Meeting 2021 - March 18, 2021
On March 18, 2021, Horasis hosted its second digital Extraordinary Meeting under the theme “Rebuilding Trust.” Led by Dr. Frank-Jürgen Richter, Founder and Chairman of Horasis, the event brought together over 1,100 senior members of the Horasis Vision Community, including heads of government, ministers, and global thought leaders, to collaboratively shape the world’s agenda in a time of profound transformation.

I had the honour of joining an inspiring panel chaired by Metin Guvener, alongside Fahim Naim, Morgan Parnis, and Gary Shapiro, to discuss one of the defining issues of our time — trustworthy and responsible leadership.
Our conversation explored how values-based leadership and transparency are essential for rebuilding confidence across institutions, economies, and societies.

🎥 Watch the panel discussion and explore the highlights.

UK FinTech Mission to Switzerland and Austria – January 28, 2021
The UK FinTech Mission to Switzerland and Austria, organised by the British Embassies in Vienna and Berne, the UK Department for International Trade (DIT), and Scottish Development International, brought together high-ranking government representatives, financial innovators, and leading UK FinTechs for a forward-looking discussion on the technologies and values shaping the future of finance.

The event explored how intelligent automation, Big Data, and green FinTech are driving transformation across markets, and how ESG principles and the role of governments are becoming essential in building a more sustainable, purpose-driven financial ecosystem.

The conversation highlighted the evolution of finance toward purpose-driven capitalism, where innovation and responsibility go hand in hand — creating value not only for business, but for society and the planet.

🎥 Watch the full panel discussion: UK FinTech Mission 2021 – Video Recording
📖 Read more: Towards Purpose-Driven Capitalism: ESG, Business, Society, Planet and Data Take Center Stage

SIX Innovation Day – Zurich, November 6, 2019
At SIX Innovation Day 2019, industry leaders, investors, and innovators gathered to explore how blockchain technology is reshaping the financial landscape — and how its applications extend far beyond traditional markets.

A key topic of discussion centered on the tokenization of art: Why would investors choose to buy a Warhol or Picasso art token instead of a security token, real estate, or equity in a conventional business? Can we truly democratize access to art investments? And could the same principles one day apply to people and careers?

While the global art market, valued by Bloomberg at $63.7 billion in 2018, has been slower to adopt digital innovation, the potential for blockchain to redefine ownership, provenance, and liquidity is immense. Participants debated both the opportunities and challenges of this new frontier — from regulation to market trust.

💡 Discover the key insights and highlights from SIX Innovation Day 2019.

PayExpo: Payments & FinTech – London, October 8–9, 2019
In an exclusive collaboration between PayExpo and SmartBizHub, this flagship event brought together over 2,000 leaders and innovators from the global payments and FinTech ecosystem. Over two dynamic days, discussions explored how technology, regulation, and human insight are shaping the future of money.

A highlight of the event was the Diversity Panel, which focused on EQ-driven leadership — rethinking the way we work, lead, and collaborate. The conversation emphasized the need to shift workplace culture and values to reflect a more modern, inclusive, and diverse society where innovation and empathy go hand in hand.

EWPN 2019 – Money 2020, Amsterdam
At EWPN 2019, leaders and innovators from across FinTech gathered to promote female founders, diversity, and inclusion. I spoke about the need to transform—not just integrate into—outdated systems, creating new role models and redefining workplace culture for a modern, balanced society.

We also explored the link between wellbeing, mental energy, and sustainable high performance — because bridging the gap between knowing and doing starts with how we work and lead.

📸 See the highlights and key takeaways.

Personalized and DNA-Based Medicine – Zurich, April 2 2019
with SmartBizHub GmbH, Weizmann Institute of Science, Hirslanden, CNN Money Switzerland, and WeSpace

How is technology reshaping the future of medicine? On April 2, SmartBizHub hosted an insightful health-tech event in Zurich exploring the rise of personalized and DNA-based medicine — a transformative approach that tailors care to each individual’s genetic profile.

Moderated by Hannah Wise (CNN Money Switzerland), the discussion featured Dr. Anna Erat (Hirslanden), Dr. Christoph Nabholz (Swiss Re), Dr. Robert Fluhr (Weizmann Institute of Science), and Manuela Andaloro (SmartBizHub). Together, they examined how genetic insights, big data, and innovation are redefining the standard of care — from prevention to treatment — while addressing the ethical and social implications of genetic testing.

As Hippocrates reminded us, “It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than what sort of disease a person has.” This timeless truth continues to inspire a new era of medicine driven by data, empathy, and personalization.

🎥 Watch the highlights: Personalized and DNA-Based Medicine – Event Video

UK FinTech Mission to Switzerland – Zurich, January 24, 2019
Organized by the Department for International Trade (DIT), the British Embassy Bern, SIX, and SmartBizHub GmbH, the UK FinTech Mission to Switzerland gathered government representatives, leading Swiss financial innovators, and top UK FinTechs for a high-level dialogue on the future of finance.

The event explored how innovation, regulation, and culture are reshaping financial ecosystems — from digital banking to cross-border collaboration — and how Switzerland and the UK can jointly accelerate progress in the FinTech space.

🎥 Discover the highlights and full discussions: FinTech: The New Finance Between Innovation and Culture

WorldWebForum 2019 – Zurich, January 17–18
One of our exclusive partnerships, the WorldWebForum gathered global leaders and innovators driving radical transformation through technology, leadership, and culture. The forum’s mission: to build a community of changemakers redefining humanity’s relationship with progress.

In a standout session, Manuela Andaloro interviewed Dominic Price of Atlassian, who reflected on the power of continuous learning and adaptability in times of exponential change:

“Elite sports teams spend 95% of their time training and only 5% delivering — in business, it’s the opposite. To thrive, we must reverse that balance.”

🎥 Read the interview and highlights from WorldWebForum 2019.

The Human Factor: Re-defining Value in the Digital Future

Zurich, November 22, 2018 – with McKinsey & Company, Ashoka, Life Based Value, The Five Chairs & CNN Money Switzerland

At a time when technology can automate almost everything, human skills remain the ultimate differentiator. Leaders from McKinsey, Ashoka, Life Based Value and others explored how empathy, creativity, and emotional intelligence will define success in the digital era.

🎥 Watch the highlights: The Human Factor – Event Video

iStarter London – 5 November 2018
Hosted in London, iStarter is the leading Italian angel-led accelerator dedicated to helping Italian startups scale globally. Founded in 2012, iStarter rapidly achieved a million-dollar capitalization, driven by a powerful network of over 100 equity partners. The event brought together top Italian innovators and international investors to foster cross-border growth and collaboration across key hubs including London, Beijing, and New York City.
With 55 investors in attendance, the London edition highlighted iStarter’s growing ability to connect Italy’s most promising ventures with global venture capital and institutional funds.
🔗 Discover the highlights: iStarter London 2018

Driving Sustainable Innovation – Zurich, July 3, 2018
Hosted at Tesla’s flagship store in the heart of Zurich, the first SmartPlan #FutureTech event brought together forward-thinking minds from Tesla, Daedalean, and Swiss Re to explore how technology is shaping a more sustainable and intelligent future. The evening offered guests a first-hand look into Tesla’s revolutionary Gigafactory and autonomous innovations, Daedalean’s AI-powered autopilot systems for urban air mobility, and Swiss Re’s insurance solutions for an increasingly automated world.
The event celebrated progress at the intersection of mobility, artificial intelligence, and sustainability — demonstrating how visionary companies are driving real-world change.
🎥 Watch the event highlights here: Driving Sustainable Innovation – Event Video

PayExpo – London, 9 October 2018

Held in London, PayExpo is one of Europe’s most influential gatherings for payments and FinTech innovation, bringing together leaders from banking, retail, gaming, government, transport, and mobile. The event showcased next-generation card solutions, digital wallets, real-time payments, and emerging tech shaping how people and businesses move money. A dedicated spotlight on women in payments highlighted the importance of diversity and leadership across the sector.
🔗 Explore the event hub & highlights: clarionevents-leaderssummit.com