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Photo: Rocco Sabelli

Alitalia

Rocco Sabelli

Rocco Sabelli, 54, was born near Isernia (Italy) and is married. He is Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia - Compagnia Aerea Italiana - the largest airline company established on the Italian market.

After graduating in Chemical Engineering at Rome University and early job experiences in companies in the manufacturing field, in 1983 Sabelli joined GEPI (now Sviluppo Italia), working in mergers and acquisitions.

From 1985 to 1992, he worked in the Eni Group, where he held a number of managerial posts in several companies of the Group, until his appointment as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of New Ideni, an industrial holding.

In 1993 Sabelli entered the Telecom Italia Group, where he remained until 2001.

After working initially in planning and control, in 1995 he moved to TIM, where, three years later, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer.

In 1999 he was appointed head of Internet and Wireline Network Services for the Italian Market (residential and business customers) at Telecom Italia; his responsibilities included Tin.it and public telephony and directories services.

Subsequently, in 2000, he was appointed head of the Wireline Services Business Unit, a division with 60,000 employees, where he had full P&L responsibility. Beginning in 2001 his responsibilities extended to include the international wholesale business.

In 2002 Sabelli was one of the founders of Omniainvest, an industrial holding company headed by Roberto Colaninno, where he was appointed Chief Executive Officer.

In 2003 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of IMMSI S.p.A., an industrial and property services holding listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, which is controlled indirectly by Omniainvest.

In October 2003, following IMMSI’s acquisition of management control of the Piaggio Group, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Piaggio.

In October 2004 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Aprilia.

In November 2006 he resigned all offices in Piaggio Group.

In May 2007 he became Chairman of Dataservice.

In January 2009 he became the CEO of Alitalia.