Amb. Ronald P. Spogli was born in Los Angeles. He graduated from Stanford University in 1970 & went on to receive his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1975.
In 1983, together with Bradford M. Freeman, Amb. Spogli founded Freeman, Spogli & Co., one of the leading private equity investors in the US.
Amb. Spogli has served on the board of directors of over twenty different companies.
Between 1968 and 1973, Amb. Spogli spent nearly three years in Italy working on various activities sponsored by Stanford University in Florence and in Milan.
In 2002, he was appointed to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship board by President Bush.
Amb. Spogli holds a great personal interest in international education and international relations & has undertaken various projects in this regard.
Since appointed Amb. to Italy in 2005, Ronald Spogli has received very high appreciation and his appointment has been met with great and unanimous approval both in the US and in Italy.
The GEI has been in close relations with Amb. Spogli who has met with the Board of GEI before going to Italy and was guest of GEI on October 19, 2005 and on November 14, 2006. I also personally met with Amb. Spogli several times and paid him a few visits in Rome.
We are therefore very pleased that Amb. Spogli has, once again, accepted our invitation and is here today with us to tell us of his experience as American Ambassador to Italy, in a very complex and sometimes difficult period, where he has been dealing first with the Berlusconi Government, then with the Prodi Government and now is waiting for a new Italian Government.
This luncheon on the eve of the Italian election is therefore very interesting and I should say very intriguing even if I know that the Ambassador will abstain on commenting on the forthcoming elections.
I can anticipate however that, as he told me last week in Rome, his relations both with the Berlusconi and Prodi Governments were altogether very good, signifying that no matter which Government is in charge the relations between Italy and the U.S. are always very friendly and, in this regard, I wish to present Amb. Spogli with this plaque in appreciation of his outstanding achievements as U.S. Ambassador to Italy.
