Claudio Dematte’
Born in Trento on 4 March 1942
A graduate in Economics and Business at the Università Commerciale “L. Bocconi” in 1966, he was awarded his Master in Business Administration at Harvard Business School in 1970.
He began to work for Bocconi as a Laureato addetto alle esercitazioni at the “Banking and Professional Techniques” department.
In 1971 he was appointed as an Assistente Ordinario and for the academic years from 1976/77 to 1981/82 was nominated as an Incaricato interno, in the “Economics of Financial Institutions” department.
As of 1 November 1982 he joined the ranks of Professori Ordinari, at the “Economics of Financial Institutions” department, following his transfer to the chair of “Economics of Banking” at the University of Venice.
From 1992 he taught the course of Internationalisation Strategy and headed the specialisation in International Corporations.
He was the founder of SDA Bocconi in 1971 and was its Director from 1984 to 1989 and then Chairman from 1996.
Alongside his academic work, he developed his professional experience in Italy and abroad in various sectors.
From 1 January 1994 to 30 June 1994 he was President of the RAI – Radio Televisione Italiana.
From 1998 to 2001 he was Chairman of the Italian state railways.
From 1996 to 2000 he was Chairman of the bank CARIME.
He was Chairman of the Banca di Trento e Bolzano and Vice Chairman of Telefono Azzurro, Chairman of E-Capital Partners. He was a member of the board of directors of Winterthur, Laterza, DS Data System, Natuzzi, De Rigo, Poligrafica San Faustino, Art’è, Etnoteam, and IT Holding.
He was the author of numerous publications, and wrote articles for the financial press, as well as being the founder and executive editor of Economia & Management, SDA Bocconi's general management review.
These notes illustrate the academic CV of Prof. Dematte’. However, we would also like to remember him from a more introspective viewpoint to give an idea of his rich personality and great versatility.
Claudio Dematté's sophisticated but tenaciously determined style left a lasting impression on everyone at Bocconi (students, colleagues and SDA staff) who met him in the last thirty years.
Claudio Demattè was the point of reference for generations of students. The Master course students, who arrived from around the world and with a few years of work experience behind them, followed him with particular determination.
With a sort of devotion.His capacity to combine the enterprise of advanced professional environments and vital academic rigour was his outstanding feature, with which he first managed and then chaired the Scuola di Direzione Aziendale, leading it to be one of Italy's most well-recognised educational institutions in the world.
Everyone who knew him loved his manner and his smile, his extraordinary culture and enthusiasm, his sense of humour, his direct yet always kind approach, his ability for immediate analysis of problems, international experience and the respect he showed for everyone. Anyone who spoke to him welcomed his piercing, warm but never superficial glance. A spur, a “good for you” or a reprimand; never a vague, imprecise or unconsidered thought. His humility blended with his refinement and brilliance. His vision always went beyond the point where others stopped. No-one at Bocconi will forget him.
