President Ferrari-TestaYou began leading BancaStato's board of directors about a year and a half ago. Can you give us a summary?
"The balance sheet is good, both in terms of the results achieved by the Bank and from a more human and personal perspective. Let's start with the results and evaluate them from the perspective of fulfilling the public mandate assigned to BancaStato: 2025 has proven to be another year that, in my opinion, lives up to the expectations of the people of Ticino. The Institute has confirmed its solid position as a valuable source of revenue for the public coffers. Suffice it to say that over the last decade, we have allocated €465 million to the Canton, and therefore to the community. This is a significant sum. But there is also a "how" we achieve our results.
We believe that operating in accordance with our public mandate also means adopting a business model geared toward creating value for the local community. This is why, for example, last year we allocated over 5,5 million francs to support numerous organizations active in sports, culture, and charitable causes: these organizations create wealth, certainly not monetary, but invaluable. Looking at these aspects alone, the outcome can only be positive. Furthermore, over the past year, my role as President has also provided me with further confirmation of the high level of competence, professionalism, motivation, and commitment of the Bank's employees.
But there's also a dimension that's more closely tied to my identity as a Ticinese. It's gratifying and fulfilling for me to be able to lead the Board of Directors of a company whose philosophy and roots resonate with my own. My contribution to BancaStato ultimately translates into a commitment to the community and the region to which I belong. And that can only fill me with pride.
You've combined your love for Ticino with important national roles: for example, you were Vice President of Helsana, served on the Board of Directors of the Coop Group, and are currently on the Board of Directors of la Mobiliare Svizzera. How do these experiences influence your current role at BancaStato?
I've had the pleasure of gaining over twenty years of experience in these groups, and this has also allowed me to address issues and challenges that ultimately also affect the banking sector. Digitalization, artificial intelligence, and regulatory and compliance compliance are, for example, areas that pose common challenges for both banks and insurance companies, albeit with their own differences.
Even their respective business models, while different, share the need to combine complex national or supranational economic and market aspects with a highly local business model. More generally, serving on such boards of directors allows one to gain senior management experience, as well as shape and consolidate a highly professional mindset and propensity for analyzing, discussing, and developing complex and interconnected, yet highly strategic, issues, and therefore, as such, capable of triggering challenges and change. And then you learn to interact with colleagues, discuss, mediate, and even understand when it's time to admit that your idea isn't the best one.
President: What is your typical day like?
"Definitely a busy schedule, with a lot of appointments and commitments, including weekends, that need to be perfectly organized like a puzzle. But I'm a natural morning person and consider myself very energetic. I'm fortunate to have chosen a career path that suits me, and I enjoy tackling the workday. My journey has always required a great deal of commitment; I've never backed down, and this has strengthened me, as well as rewarding me personally. My commitments often take me beyond the Gotthard Pass. Careful organization allows me to optimize my days and dedicate the time and resources needed to my activities and family. It's also important to always know how to handle unexpected situations appropriately. And if I can still manage in the evening, reading absorbs my last bits of energy."
One last question: what are your professional and human values?
I place great importance on commitment, integrity, intellectual honesty, and tenacity. These are values I also appreciate in the people around me, and I'm convinced they pay off at work and in my personal life. This means I dislike lies and those who only tell part of the truth. It's essential that those who work with me are transparent, even if that means admitting there's a problem. In fact, by joining forces, we can solve it.
