Confindustria-led B7 Italy kicks off with the first meeting of the Advisory Board chaired by Emma Marcegaglia

The B7 Italy 2024: Leading the Transitions Together summit chaired by Emma Marcegaglia on behalf of Confindustria President Carlo Bonomi, was officially launched on January 1^st, with the participation of the heads of business organizations from the G7 countries. On January 23^rd, the Advisory Board met at the Assolombarda headquarters. The meeting was opened by the greetings from the Assolombarda President Alessandro Spada and the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala. Participants included some of Italy's top business leaders: Lucia Aleotti, Member of the Board, Menarini Group, Sonia Bonfiglioli, Chairwoman, Bonfiglioli S.p.A., Diana Bracco, President and CEO, Bracco Group, Matteo Colaninno, Executive Chairman, Piaggio & C S.p.A., Claudio Descalzi, CEO, ENI, Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO and General Manager, Terna S.p.A., Sergio Dompè, Chairman and CEO, Dompè Farmaceutici, Vincenzo Esposito, CEO, Microsoft Italy, Luigi Ferraris, CEO, Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, Marco Hannappel, Chairman and CEO, Philip Morris Italia, Maximo Ibarra, CEO, Engineering, Pietro Labriola, Managing Director and General Manager, TIM Group, Nicola Lanzetta, Managing Director, Enel Italia, Andrea Orcel, CEO and Head of Italy, UniCredit Group, Gianfelice Rocca, Chairman, Techint Group, Raffaello Ruggieri, Chief Lending Officer, Intesa Sanpaolo, Agostino Santoni, Vice President Cisco South Europe & Vice President for Digital Confindustria, Marco Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice Chairman, Pirelli &C, Stefano Venier, Managing Director, SNAM.

The B7 Advisory Board discussed the priorities of the B7 agenda, which will be structured along four axes: the impact of global uncertainty on global value chains; climate, energy, and environmental transitions; the opportunities offered by data economy and digital technologies; and the challenges related to talent enhancement in the labor market. Along with a fifth cross-cutting priority represented by Artificial Intelligence, given its rapid development and pervasiveness in every sector.

“Industry input can bring great added value to the Italian presidency of this important G7, which is taking place in a particularly complex geopolitical context and where the business world is facing epochal challenges. Based on my experience as Chairwoman of the B20 Italy in 2021, I consider the direct confrontation with the top management of large companies to be a valuable asset because of their knowledge and experience” said Emma Marcegaglia, B7 Chair. “The work ahead of us in the coming months will be challenging, as it will aim to produce a final declaration containing the industry's contribution in the form of concrete and pragmatic policy recommendations on the B7 priority topics. Following yesterday's meeting, I met today with the members of the High Level Group, composed of the Presidents of the G7 business organizations and influential CEOs from the respective countries.”

Expression of the private sector and industrial confederations of the G7 countries, the B7 is among the most influential Engagement Groups established within the G7, and it will be chaired by Italy in 2024. The B7 Italy 2024: Leading the Transitions Together led by Confindustria assumes a key role in identifying and directing the priorities of the global economic agenda. Emma Marcegaglia, B7 Chairwoman, will preside over the work by coordinating the dialogue with the heads of the G7 industrial confederations relying on two advisory bodies - one national and one international - composed of high-profile CEOs and with the professional support from Deloitte Italy as the project's sole Knowledge Partner and from Business at OECD (BIAC) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) as Network Partners.

The first meeting of the High Level Group was attended by Siegfried RUSSWURM, President, BDI, Hon. Perrin BEATTY, President and CEO, CCC, Christian DIEMER, Managing Director, FMC Industrial GmbH, Klaus ROSENFELD, Managing Director, Schäffler Group, Markus BEYER, BusinessEurope General Manager, Fabrice LE SACHÉ, Vice President for European Affairs, MEDEF, Ichiro HARA, Managing Director, KEIDANREN, Geneviève Deschamps, Interim President & CEO, Montreal Port Authority.

The agenda for coming months will be full, starting with the first B7 public meeting in Verona on 13^th and 14^th March in the presence of the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, which will be held alongside the Industry, Technology and Digital Ministerial meeting.

***

Media relations B7

Close to Media, founded by Elisabetta Neuhoff [email protected]

Paola Ganapini, tel. +39 366 6688575, [email protected]

Giulia Ferrario, tel. +39 334 62673334, [email protected]

Federico Maggioni, tel. +39 393 8150958, [email protected]

Elisa Gioia, tel. +39 349 2332555, [email protected]

Matteo Biffa, tel. +39 337 1079749,  matteo.biffa@closetomedia.it

Confindustria

Patrizia Caridi, Tel. +39 3357812414, [email protected]

Francesca Francario Tel. +39 334 6078726, [email protected]