Chicco Testa
Chicco Testa | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 5, 1952 Bergamo, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Business leader, politician |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Chairman of Enel, environmental activism, advocacy for nuclear energy revival in Italy |
Chicco Testa (born 5 January 1952) is an Italian business leader and politician. Originating from Bergamo, he earned a degree in philosophy from the Università Statale di Milano in 1976. He currently lives in Rome and is a father of two.
Environmental and political involvement
Between 1980 and 1987, Testa held the roles of national secretary and subsequently president of Legambiente, spearheading Italy’s environmental activism following the Chernobyl disaster. This effort peaked with a significant rally on 10 May 1986, which attracted over 200,000 participants and gathered more than one million signatures backing the 1987 anti-nuclear referendum that ultimately resulted in the shutdown of Italy’s nuclear power plants.
Testa was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 1987 until 1994, initially representing the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and later the Democratic Left Party (PDS). During his tenure, he contributed to the parliamentary commission focused on environment and territorial matters.
From 1994 to 1996, he served as Chairman of the Board at ACEA, Rome’s utility company responsible for electricity and water services.
Leadership in business
Testa led Enel, Italy’s foremost electric utility, as chairman from 1996 through 2002. Throughout this period, he managed its privatization—the largest initial public offering in Europe at €15 billion—and played a key role in establishing Wind Telecomunicazioni, Italy’s third-largest telecommunications firm, where he also held a board position.
Between 2002 and 2004, he was a board member of the Riello group, a prominent Italian manufacturer specializing in heating systems. Simultaneously, he contributed to Carlyle Europe’s advisory board (an extension of The Carlyle Group), chaired STA Spa (the agency overseeing mobility in Rome), and presided over the Kyoto Club, which advocates for the goals set by the Kyoto Protocol.
Currently, Testa occupies the role of managing director at Rothschild Spa. He also serves on the boards of Allianz Spa and chairs Telit Communications Plc as well as E.V.A. – Energie Valsabbia, a company focused on hydropower projects. Additionally, he led the organizing committee for the 20th World Energy Congress hosted in Rome in 2007.
Academic contributions and media presence
In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Testa writes for leading Italian newspapers. He has taught courses at LUISS School of Management within its MBA program specializing in Economics and Public Utilities Management. His academic roles have included positions at the Universities of Macerata and Naples where his focus was on economics and environmental disciplines.
He is also a board member of "Formiche," a magazine covering political, economic, geographic, and cultural topics founded in 2004 by Paolo Messa.
Advocacy for nuclear energy revival in Italy
In 2008, Testa published Tornare al Nucleare?, L'Italia, l'energia, l'ambiente (Back to Nuclear Energy? Italy, Energy, Environment) through Einaudi.
Since July 2010, he has chaired the Forum Nucleare Italiano (FNI), a non-profit alliance comprising industrial entities and academic institutions dedicated to reigniting public discussion on nuclear power following Italy’s abandonment of it after the 1987 referendum. The FNI brings together major energy corporations and organizations including Alstom Power, Ansaldo Nucleare, Areva, Confindustria, E.On, EDF, Edison, Enel, GDF Suez, Politecnico di Milano, Sapienza University of Rome, SOGIN, Techint, Terna, Westinghouse along with trade unions Flaei-Cisl and Uilcem.