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Cristina Scocchia

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), illycaffè S.p.A.

Search every verified Cristina Scocchia interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Cristina Scocchia, CEO of Illycaffè, discussed the company’s strategy during recent media appearances. In a 2026 interview, she recounted her career from a small town in Liguria to leading Illy and former CEOships at L’Oréal Italia and KIKO Milano. She described her leadership approach as prioritizing people, citing her decision during the early COVID-19 pandemic to close KIKO’s e-commerce for four weeks to ensure worker safety, which she called “the most important decision” of her career. At the 2023 Ambrosetti Forum, she said Illy plans to list on the stock exchange by 2026, though she noted the timing is not yet fixed. She also mentioned a partnership with a Chinese distributor to expand in China, where the company bets on growth in online and modern trade channels. Scocchia often speaks about integrating business with ethics, stating that companies should “create value not only for shareholders but for all stakeholders.” She has highlighted challenges for women in leadership, pointing out that only 3 percent of Italian CEOs are women. In various interviews, she encouraged young women to pursue their goals despite stereotypes, saying “do not let statistics and stereotypes tell you who you should be.” She also shared her perspective that Italian companies need to balance rising costs with consumer needs, noting that Illy absorbed most of a 17 percent production cost increase in 2022.

Recent appearances

Notable quotes

“Io credo che noi donne, quando insistiamo nel dire che noi portiamo uno stile di leadership diverso e complementare rispetto a quello degli uomini, io credo che ci facciamo male. Io credo che alimentiamo uno stereotipo perché continuare a dire che noi ingentiliamo i consigli di amministrazione, portiamo ascolto, portiamo empatia, ci dipinge un po' come la Croce Rossina per la serie. Abbiamo fatto per centinaia di ann”

“Io credo che la carriera si faccia solo per merito e mai per legge. Detto questo, abbiamo bisogno di dare uno scossone al sistema. Per cui io dico che le quote rosa sono come l'antibiotico, nessuno lo vuole prendere, ma ogni tanto ne hai bisogno. Quindi io spero che durino pochissimo, come le terapie antibiotiche, però in questo momento ci vuole perché dai uno scossone al sistema e permetti ad alcune donne di avere l”

Other executives at illycaffè S.p.A.

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