Attacking passion

It happens to all of us to think we know someone, but in most cases we don't… people hide lives that are much more complex than what they may seem. An obligatory premise for this very special interview with Luca Pedrotti, also because, in addition to being a well-known person in Switzerland, he is a friend. His personal history is profound, made up of sacrifices and even defeats.

I read your niece Lisa's graduation work. It focuses on you because you are an example for her to follow and, reading it, I must say that I was struck by your sincerity. I think about when you tell about your life as a striker in search of that goal you want the more it escapes you ...

«It is the life of athletes, but it is not always easy to accept criticism and it is not at all easy to face the pressures of a coach and an entire team. But I want to emphasize that when you do something with a lot of determination, you learn to manage even the difficult moments. For me football was a great love ... I still remember when as a child I spent hours in front of the house kicking the ball or when my mother scolded me for ruining yet another pair of shoes because I couldn't stop hitting every stone that I crossed in the street ».

I understand that passion is an indispensable element, but how do you survive the journalists who target you… having to score at all costs?

«It is the destiny of the striker in the world of football when you are at certain levels. Wherever I played (in Chiasso, Lugano, Grasshoppers and Locarno) the expectations of me were high. All right if I scored, but when - despite my will and training - I didn't put a ball on the net, frustration and criticism became bigger and bigger. But it is precisely in these cases that you need to know how to get back into the game, rely only on your strength and not be overwhelmed by pressure. Get up from defeat stronger than before, and continue to believe in yourself with confidence ».

Did you stop playing because the pressures became too much? After all, you still had potential when you decided to leave football ...

"I'm honest: at a certain point in my career I realized that football was no longer enough for me, I felt I had achieved a dream and I wanted to prepare my future away from the playing fields."

Excuse my curiosity, but I have to ask you this question, did you earn well?

(Laughs heartily) “Those were other times, but it was important figures. I remember the first time I brought home a professional bag: when my dad saw the contents he told me four, he was incredulous. However, it is also thanks to my parents that I was able to leave professionalism. My family has always respected my dream of wanting to become a footballer, but at the same time it has always motivated me to continue my studies. When I decided to become a semi-professional and returned to play in Ticino, thanks to the diploma from the Bellinzona Higher School of Commerce, I found a job at UBS Locarno. At first I worked two hours a day (today it would be unthinkable) then someone noticed my qualities. Yes, my career began exactly like this: working two hours a day at what used to be the securities office, where customers then went to collect the coupons of the bonds ».

And now you have been with UBS for 28 years, you have become Regional Director for Ticino, you have been chosen by the General Management as one of the 100 Group Managing Directors of the entire UBS Group, a career that seems more cinematic than real ...

“From the outside it might look like that, actually. But I also made many sacrifices and was lucky enough to find superiors who were able to believe in me and who inspired me. I have a stimulating job, which I have really become passionate about, covering various managerial roles over the years. I started from the bottom, I'm not ashamed, but then I was given the opportunity to follow an internal training and from that moment my professional career has taken a more defined direction. The desire to continue developing my skills was a constant and at 37 I was one of the youngest Managing Directors in all of Switzerland (satisfied). In recent years I have traveled a lot, worked on various markets and had many experiences, which were then useful when I was called back to Ticino for the position I currently occupy ».

Yet Luca Pedrotti's brilliant career was also born from an important 'defeat' when his role was lost following the integration of two sectors of the Division where he worked. Luca Pedrotti remembers that day well, a frozen shower he did not expect. Then the affection of his wife, the closeness of sincere friends and a phone call that called him to get involved, in the Middle East and Africa, far from his family.

You know what it means to lose your job and perhaps for this reason you face the theme of cuts, downsizing, inevitable in large structures, with great care ...

«From an emotional point of view it is perhaps one of the most difficult activities to carry out, but sometimes it is necessary to be able to save other jobs or to allow the organization to structure itself better in the long term. They are painful processes, which I try to deal with in a rational way, but with respect for the people touched, offering them psychological and also practical support, perhaps looking for alternatives inside or outside the company ».

Have you ever had someone get angry with you or confront you personally?

“No, it never happened to me. For heaven's sake someone may have been angry, but no serious case. Perhaps also because if people feel respected ... communication becomes less painful ».

Blame, so to speak, digitalization, new technologies, all factors that will continue and are unstoppable ...

«The advent of“ tech-info ”(Information Technology) in recent years has allowed us to combine advanced technological skills with traditional sectors. More recently there has been a further acceleration of this trend and the phenomenon has spread to new fields with a strong informative character: education, health and last but not least the financial and banking sector. The digitization of financial products and services, the "FinTech", is a complex and rapidly expanding reality, which exploits the convergence of the most advanced information and communication technologies. We are facing the dawn of a new era, an epochal change that puts a strain on our ability to adapt and that will have a decisive impact on our deepest habits. However, keeping up is essential to survive in the world of work: we are called to be more and more flexible and to manage new, fast-paced and stressful rhythms. A bank like ours, with 150 years of history behind it, must be able to ride the wave of innovation, to improve the speed and quality of services and satisfy an increasingly demanding and participatory clientele. But the digitization process does not only involve papers and documents: it is also and above all about the culture of our employees. We need to prepare them in the best possible way for this revolutionary process, taking into account the fact that each generation faces changes at different times… this, at a managerial level, is the real great challenge ».

You have a very close-knit team and you try to always be present, to be seen to understand us ...

«I invest a lot of my time in people, I try to do it with great seriousness, in full respect of my values ​​and encouraging everyone - young and old - to grow continuously. In Ticino we are almost 800 collaborators: I clearly interact constantly with my management team, but within the limits of my many commitments I try to take advantage of every opportunity to show my closeness to everyone. They often tell me that I speak from the heart (smiles), it is true, in communicating I always try to be realistic and transparent, I speak openly about challenges and difficulties, about difficult moments to overcome together, but always trying to share perspectives and vision of 'together".

You also use this way of being and speaking in public. Aren't you afraid that this emotionality of yours will be considered a fragility?

«The risk exists: every now and then I hear myself said - in a witty way - that I am the last of the Mohicans (laughs). Of course, my responsibilities also require me to be decisive and rational, but no one can blame me for not communicating openly. After all, the professional goals I have achieved have been achieved with and through people, working together. I am demanding with myself, and I always expect maximum commitment from all my colleagues ».

A few weeks ago, the opening of a new UBS artificial intelligence center in Ticino was announced, at your headquarters in Suglio in Manno. A great challenge, also because there were other Cantons in the running ...

(Silence and satisfaction) «I'm happy that you ask me about the new center, also because we often talk about layoffs, but in this case we will create new jobs. Who would have thought, five years ago, that UBS would announce the hiring of 80-100 engineers and researchers? I think this is proof of how much things are changing. The new technologies will allow us to free up skills and resources that can be invested in other areas. I fully understand the fear of some collaborators of losing their jobs, however this evolution is inevitable and must be faced with seriousness and courage: if fear prevails it is not possible to win. For some it will be difficult to recycle, but the willingness to adapt will be fundamental, considering that during the course of their professional career it is possible, and in some cases necessary, to change jobs. The era of entering the bank is over and the career continued in a linear manner until retirement. Young people must be able to show greater mobility, even within the same company, and therefore have greater adaptability and flexibility than previous generations ».

Did you imagine that you would get to where you are today?

«In addition to the footballer's dream, there was also my desire to work in a bank in the drawer. But when I started my career, I never imagined becoming Group Managing Director and head of UBS Ticino. I have never worked solely for career purposes. I still remember the first time they gave me an important assignment and passed it on to my parents. My father listened to me, initially said nothing and shortly after he put his hand on my shoulder, giving me a precious advice: "Just try to do your job well". Whenever I am faced with a new challenge, I face it with so much enthusiasm, with determination, trying, as my father told me, to do my job in the best possible way ».

I know you have a special bond with your brother and your two nieces: are you very attached to the family?

“Yes, because I was lucky enough to have an extraordinary family, which taught me true values. When I was studying in Bellinzona, my parents gave me twenty francs a week, which should have been enough for my meals (break). This is how I learned the value of money and that in life you always have to remember where you come from ».

What you say is very important, also because today you can afford a comfortable life ...

“I'm not hiding it, but my friends are still what they used to be. I am aware of being lucky, but I never exaggerate, I do not take advantage of it, those who know me know that I have remained the same as always. Unfortunately, it happens to clash with envy, but with age I have learned that important people are those capable of being close to you even when you lose everything ».

Are you 53 years old, a job you like, do you feel you have arrived in a certain way or do you have other projects, dreams?

«I don't set myself long-term goals, my career has had several important turning points. We are experiencing epochal changes and perhaps it is precisely for this reason that I do not think about the next career goal. I still have so much to do and to give, I would like to be able to help the structure prepare for future challenges and pass on to those who will come after me all that I have learned, which in turn I have learned from others. I have entered a phase of my life in which I feel this social responsibility very much, above all because I am linked to my territory, to where I was born and where I will spend my old age: I feel I have to give back in some way what I have received ".

You are married, sportsman, animal lover, let's talk a little about your private life ...

«I have been married for almost eleven years, to an extraordinary woman who has given me so much serenity and balance especially during these last years because, I do not hide it, the tensions that are experienced in the world of work are high. Having a life partner by your side who helps you manage your daily life is really very important. Unfortunately we did not have children together, but we were reciprocated by many other joys. Moreover, five years ago, Cocò arrived in our life, a fantastic dog, who fills many spaces in our life as a couple ».

If I think about how fond you are of Cocò and what you first thought about dogs ...

«I admit that I had to change my mind, I had a dog when I was little, but I wasn't old enough to understand how much an animal can give you. When Cocò arrived… I still had some prejudices, but now they have all been abundantly sunk. Having a dog is certainly a commitment, but also an incredible joy that amply repays you ».

Do you continue to play sports as a former professional sportsman?

«I do a lot of sport on weekends, for me it is a relief valve, it balances me. During my sporting years I have learned to know my body, I understand the signals it sends me and I try to compensate. Then, I can't hide it, I'm a person who likes to compete, I need constant challenges, even with myself. There is in fact a climb that I do every year by bicycle, the top of which I must be able to reach under a certain amount of time. He is stronger than me, he is a point of reference ».

And when you can't take it anymore?

«I will change uphill and look for a shorter one (we laugh). What I try to say is that in life I always need a challenge, this spirit of healthy competition is part of me. I was like this since I was a child: when we played bottle games in front of the church I never wanted to lose ».

Are you afraid of getting old?

«It is true that if I could stop time I would stop it today, but I already thought this 10 years ago. I will face the next twenty years making the most of my life, traveling a lot, meeting different worlds. I am thirsty for experience, I am not afraid of the passing of time ».

Of your traveling a lot, the desire is to continue doing it, to get to know and approach other cultures, what do you think of the fears that these large immigration flows arouse?

«They scare us because we are not used to it, in reality the comparison between different cultures is an opportunity for growth, but it must be correctly channeled by the authorities otherwise it risks generating unnecessary social tensions. When I was in charge of the Middle East and Africa I had a management team made up of eight people from different countries. We sat at the table and extraordinary discussions and debates arose, which I have never been able to have with members of a group of the same culture. Confrontation is an experience of growth and it is an inevitable process with which society is confronted ».

Interculturality, new technologies, artificial intelligence, how do you see the Ticino financial center in ten years?

“There will certainly be fewer banks because the consolidation phase is not yet completely over. We will have a different banking world. In the future, banks will have to focus on very specific activities and therefore critical mass will become a fundamental element in managing costs and the quality of the service. I am convinced that we must work a lot on young people, on future generations, raising the bar for training. We must be able to offer cutting-edge quality, not only in terms of skills, but also products and services, because the world around us is changing very quickly ».

But what will concretely change? Why are we going to keep going to the bank?

«What will change will be the way we interact with the bank, but let's remember that it will always be a business made up of people. Beyond the technological and digitalization processes, the relationship with human beings will always be at the center, decisions will always be made looking into each other's eyes, sitting at a table, and I am seriously convinced of this. Ticino has a lot to offer from this point of view because it has an important tradition that we often underestimate, but not at all obvious abroad. We live in a country that is economically, politically and socially very valid, strong, healthy and these are elements that we must learn to value very well ».

Since we are talking about tomorrow's work, about young people, let's finish with the future generation, what will it have to do to be competitive?

«First of all, I recommend studying: it is essential to be prepared. Personally, I never stopped learning and completed my training with two masters in finance and management, one of which in the United States. You also need to follow your passions: if you want to be successful in the world of work you have to love what you do. I always tell my boys, if you are not happy with what you do change jobs, life is too short to do something you don't like. It is important to have dreams and try to make them come true with passion. At the same time, today's children and young people will have to develop skills such as flexibility and adaptability and will have to be ready to change their professional path at 360 degrees. These characteristics will be fundamental to survive in the world of work of the future ».

It is not often that you know someone who can prove that they have fulfilled their dreams and that is why I would like every guy to read this interview, to understand how important personal will and never giving up is.