On January 13, 2026, students from the Master in Corporate Finance welcomed Paolo Marchesini, former CFO, COO, CEO and current Chairman of Davide Campari Milano N.V., for an in-class session focused on his personal leadership journey and on the lessons learned throughout nearly three decades of executive responsibility.

Marchesini’s career does not follow a linear executive script. It is defined by deliberate acceleration, repeated course corrections, and a persistent refusal to settle into comfort. He built his trajectory by repeatedly stepping into roles that stretched him before he felt ready.

That instinct appeared early, as Mr. Marchesini was raised in a family that valued academic rigor. The early lesson was that progress comes from friction. Initially drawn to architecture, he then enrolled at Bocconi University, graduating in Business Administration and Economics with a specialization in Chartered Accounting, guided less by prestige than by a desire to address his own weaknesses. After graduation, he rejected a traditional banking path and qualified as a chartered accountant, initially aiming for a career in tax advisory. The role soon felt constraining. A headhunter eventually placed his résumé on Campari’s desk: Mr. Marchesini joined the group not for compensation, but for its learning potential.

His ascent was rapid. Within two years, at just 33, he became CFO, at a time when Campari was still a relatively lean organization. The role quickly expanded well beyond Finance. He led IPO processes, major acquisitions, the internalization of key functions, the rollout of a global IT infrastructure, and the operational oversight of 27 production sites worldwide. The most demanding moments came during periods of shock. During the Covid pandemic, demand collapsed while plants still had to operate, followed by an abrupt rebound. These challenges were compounded by a major cyberattack and the transfer of Campari’s registered office to the Netherlands, while maintaining Italian tax residency - a move that unsettled investors and required careful capital markets communication.

The most difficult episode came in 2024, when Campari issued its first profit warning in 25 years. A growing disconnect emerged between market expectations and operational reality. The group missed its top-line target. Determining whether the issue was cyclical or structural meant putting personal credibility on the line, while the organization was rapidly resized and costs reduced, while pursuing a transformative acquisition. By the time, Mr. Marchesini stepped down from executive duties in October 2024, after nearly 28 years with the Group, Both revenues and EBITDA grew tenfold in that time frame, and shareholder value multiplied accordingly.

Mr. Marchesini looks back on this experience without regret: “The glass is completely full”.

He concluded the session with three key pieces of advice for young candidates aspiring to executive leadership roles: “Stay out of your comfort zone, choose roles that maximize learning rather than comfort, and remember that you cannot succeed if you are frustrated”.

SDA Bocconi School of Management