Francesca Casalini is Assistant Professor of Practice in the Government, Health & Not for Profit Knowledge Group at SDA Bocconi School of Management. She collaborates with the Knowledge Group of Strategy & Entrepreneurship and she is a Teaching Assistant of the Master in Strategy and Entrepreneurship (MISA).

Her research interests focus on innovative business models based on public-private collaborations and digital platforms. Her teaching activities mainly focus on business planning and business modeling in multiple sectors (both for-profit and non-profit, based on traditional collaborations as well as platforms) and strategic data crunching.

Francesca has been a research grantee of the European Investment Bank and a Research Assistant for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank on the topic of public-private collaborations. She has also worked with several start-ups, private companies and public administrations in the business planning of new strategic projects based on public-private collaborations.

Francesca holds a B.Sc. in Economics and Management with honors from the Università di Bologna an M.Sc. in Management with honors from Università Bocconi and a PhD in Management from the University of St. Gallen.

Giorgio Panzera studied at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at the University of Bern and obtained his teaching qualification from the Bern University of Teacher Education. He later completed a course in Grant Making Foundation Management at the University of Basel and earned a CAS in Nonprofit Governance & Leadership. He subsequently obtained an Executive Master in Philanthropy, CSR and Grant Making from the University of Turin.

He has participated in more than 30 conferences on the third sector, both in Switzerland and abroad. Since 2008, he has been professionally active in the nonprofit and philanthropic field, where he has held several key roles, including serving as director of a national foundation for six years. In 2020, he established the cenpro Foundation, which he still leads, and in 2023 he founded the Fondazione Mantello Filantropia.

Marialuisa Parodi is Member of the Board of Directors since 1 October 2024, Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee.

In 1992 she graduated in Economics and Commerce from the University of Genoa and passed the State Examination qualifying her as a Chartered Accountant. In 1999 she obtained the Swiss Federal Diploma as a Financial Analyst (AZEK-Switzerland). She began her career as an equity analyst, later specialising in fixed-income fund management. She worked for the Sumitomo, Credit Suisse and JP Morgan groups in London and Milan.

In 2000 she took on responsibility for global fixed-income management within the institutional client desk at BSI SA, Lugano. Between 2006 and 2022 she gained entrepreneurial experience at Soave Private Investors SA, Lugano, and Londinium DAC, Dublin.

Her professional path has also been oriented toward socio-economic fields, gender equality and women’s empowerment. She led the Ticino Plus Federation of Women’s Associations from 2017 to 2023, and since 2020 she has been a member of the Office of Conciliation for Gender Equality. In 2021 she was elected Ticino representative at the second Swiss Women’s Session of the Federal Parliament.

In 2018 she co?founded the Equi?Lab Association, where she continues to serve as co?director. Since 2015 she has been a member of the Advisory Commission of the Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care at SUPSI, and has served as its Chair since 2024.

Other Activities  

President of Londinium 1444 Sagl, Mendrisio.

Member of the Board of the Fondazione Mantello Filantropia, Vezia.

Rosa Sangiorgio is an expert in sustainable investing and impact investing, with more than 27 years of experience in the financial sector. 

Following a long career in asset and wealth management, including roles at SocGen, Credit Suisse and Pictet Wealth Management, she now works as an independent adviser, helping investors, companies and organisations develop investment strategies and impact initiatives.

She chairs the Swiss Platform for Impact Investing, the Swiss National Partner of GSG Impact, and serves on several boards of directors and advisory boards, including those of Impact SGR, the Women’s Brain Foundation and WeGlad.

A TEDx speaker, she regularly speaks on sustainable finance, impact investing and the transformation of financial systems.

Paola Bissoli - CAIA, Director - Business Development, Aberdeen Investments.

Paola is Director of Business Development, Switzerland, in charge of global banks and large institutional investors and is based in our Zurich Office. She joined Aberdeen in 2015 from Saint George Capital Management (Unipol-SAI Insurance Group) where she held the position of CEO and Investment Manager since 2008. Prior to that, Paola was a Hedge Fund Manager.

Paola is passionate about financial education and chaired the Zurich Chapter for the CAIA Association from 2017 to 2024. 

From 2013 to 2018, she was a Director of 100 Women in Finance Ltd and she is now member of the association’s Global Council. 

Paola holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino and a Certificate in Advanced Studies in Sustainable Finance from University of Zurich.

Alida has gained more than 30 years of experience in the banking and wealth management sector at a global level.  

Prior to founding Valori Asset Management in Luxembourg Italy and Switzerland, she co-founded Valeur Fiduciaria (today BG Aequitum) and was Managing Director at Credit Suisse, where she was appointed Global Head Investment Products Strategy. Alida also held several prestigious roles of responsibility at Lombard Odier Cie, UBS and Deutsche Bank. She graduated magna cum laude at Università Commerciale Bocconi in Milan and became a CFA Charterholder 1994. Since 1996 she has held numerous positions within the CFA Institute; among others she co-founded the CFA Society Switzerland in 1996 and Italy in 1999; she was nominated Governor from 2005 to 2008. Currently she chairs our Membership Committee. She holds governance and shareholder positions in MdotM London, Broletto Corporate Advisory Milan, Como Venture and Fondazione Mantello Ticino.    

Alida has a passion for foreign cultures and languages and is currently studying Chinese mandarin.