Gerardo Braggiotti
Gerardo Braggiotti | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1953 Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Finance professional, CEO |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Known for | Deputy Chairman at Lazard, CEO of Gruppo Banca Leonardo, country advisor for Italy at Goldman Sachs |
Gerardo Braggiotti (born around 1953) is an Italian finance professional, previously serving as Deputy Chairman at Lazard and currently holding the position of CEO at Gruppo Banca Leonardo.
Biography
Hailing from a family with deep banking roots, he is the son of Enrico Braggiotti, who once presided over Banca Commerciale Italiana, and Magda de Portu, who has Levantine origins. His grandfather, Stefano Braggiotti, held a directorial role at the Ottoman Bank.
His education took place at French institutions in Rome and Milan. He graduated with distinction from Sciences Po in Paris and obtained a doctorate in law from the University of Milan. Additionally, he is certified as a tax consultant by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Braggiotti’s professional journey started in 1974 at General Electric’s Milan office, followed by tenure at Arthur Andersen in both London and Milan. In 1980, he joined Mediobanca, dedicating over fifteen years as General Secretary and Central Director. Regarded as a potential successor to Enrico Cuccia, he departed after disagreements with CEO Vincenzo Maranghi.
Between 1998 and 2005, he headed the French-American merchant banking firm Lazard. During this time, he also provided advisory services to Turin-based Sanpaolo IMI and UniCredit during their acquisition efforts involving Banca di Roma and Comit. Notably, in 2001, he was instrumental in significant deals such as Fiat and EDF’s bid for Montedison and the purchase of TIM Group by Marco Tronchetti Provera’s Pirelli. From 2013 to 2016, he was a board member of Inter Milan under president Erick Thohir.
Since 2019, Braggiotti has acted as the country advisor for Italy at Goldman Sachs.
Early life
Born approximately in 1953, Gerardo Braggiotti comes from an old Venetian lineage that established itself within the Ottoman Empire. His academic credentials include degrees from Sciences Po and the University of Milan, complemented by his ICAEW qualification.
Career
Braggiotti initiated his professional path at General Electric in Milan before spending four years with Arthur Andersen in London. He dedicated fifteen years to the Italian investment bank Mediobanca prior to joining Lazard in 1998, where he held the deputy chairman role until 2005.
From 2006 onward, he has been serving as CEO of Gruppo Banca Leonardo. In 2015, he orchestrated the sale of Banca Leonardo to US investment firm Houlihan Lokey, which later transferred ownership to Crédit Agricole in 2017. That year also saw him establish the equity fund Sprint Italy.
In February 2019, Braggiotti assumed the role of country advisor for Italy at Goldman Sachs.
Personal life
He is married and has two daughters.