It is my great pleasure to welcome to GEI Flavio Cattaneo, CEO of Terna SpA.
Flavio Cattaneo received a degree in Architecture from the Milan Politecnico and subsequently specialized in business management at the Bocconi.
Since November 2005 he has been the CEO of Terna SpA which owns and operates around 98% of Italian high-voltage power transmission grids.
Previously Flavio Cattaneo has held important managerial and administrative positions in the radio, television, building and technology industries and also in the public service & facilities sectors in various Italian companies such as: AEM SpA of Milan, Serenissima Gas SpA, Triveneta Gas SpA, Seneca Srl and Malpensa Energia Srl.
In 1999 Mr. Cattaneo became head of the E. A. Fiera Internazionale di Milano and went on to oversee its stock market listing as Fiera di Milano SpA, serving as Chairman and CEO until 2003.
In April 2003 he was appointed General Manager of Italy’s public television RAI, a position that he held until August 2005.
In January 2008 he became the Independent Director of Cementir Holding SpA and, in October of 2008, Deputy Chairman in Charge of Energy and Environmental Policies at UIR, the Union of Industrialists &Companies in Rome.
From 2006 to 2009 he was Chairman of Terna Participações SA, a subsidiary of Terna SpA.
During his past five yearsat Terna Spa, Mr. Cattaneohas raised revenues and gross operating margins by 40 and 39% respectively.
He has increased net income from 300 million euros to over 770 million euros – a record increase of 159%.
Mr. Cattaneo saw Terna’s stock market shares soar by 52% and shareholder’s returns increase by 162% since 2004.
Under Mr. Cattaneo’s leadership, Terna has moved up 16 places – from 30th to 14th – in the FTSE Mib ranking.
In addition, last March Terna received the prestigious EEI International Utility Award” that recognized Terna as the best company, among European Utilities, for total return of shares during the last three years.
It is therefore with great personal pleasure that I present Flavio Cattaneo with the GEI Friendship Award in recognition of his many accomplishments.
The luncheon was held on October 25, 2010 in the Stella Private Room of Le Cirque restaurant in New York City.