About

Stefania Bergamo serves as the head of group legal affairs and general counsel for Assicurazioni Generali’s global business lines (GBL) and international business unit. Leading a 15-strong team of legal and non-legal professionals, Bergamo has spent six years at the flagship Italian insurance company. With previous experience in an international law firm she took up her first corporate counsel role with fashion group Benetton as an in-house lawyer overseeing commercial and financial agreements, international litigations and competition. Bergamo then joined shoe manufacturer Geox in 2001 to set up the legal department and support the company in its listing process, later becoming the company’s general counsel. After a brief return to private practice Bergamo became Technogym’s Italian general counsel for three years. Bergamo finally joined Assicurazioni Generali in 2010 as chief legal officer mainly covering the Italian business, with the scope of the role widening in 2013 to cover the activities of the whole group. Bergamo has used several tools to steer the strategic direction of Generali while at the same time ensuring the internal legal function could be trusted in giving comprehensive legal support to the group. Methods such as hiring external counsel with specific competencies, creating new business units and bringing in managerial staff to transform the way legal procurement was conducted. Bergamo has a track record of successfully rising to difficult challenges; she cites the successful listing of Geox in 2004 as a particular highlight, as well her involvement in assisting Technogym in a major transaction that saw it sell 40% of its capital to a private equity fund.