“Yes, even if I choose not to point out how it is often more complicated for us to climb the career ladder, I have always spoken just as frankly when describing the road to leadership, using the marathon metaphor because I find it simple and fitting. It is not a fast route, it is a long, tiring road, and one that is too often – for many – lonely, in which you can not skip any of the stages. Sometimes you feel groggy, thirsty, and question your resources, but you have to keep going. Running a marathon does not reward speed, but constancy. And, although patience was certainly never one of my natural strengths, I’ve learned the importance of steadily implementing my strategy, even when it feels like I’m going nowhere. It is important to be aware of this, as it protects you from burnout: the ability to maintain mental balance and healthy relationships is essential to avoid breaking down halfway. Resilience is much more important than speed.

Another fundamental point is the question of identity: if the aspiration for leadership runs in your veins, you must continue to move along that path. It is very easy, especially for us women, to reach a point where, under the weight of all social expectations, we risk giving up halfway through the journey, finding ourselves perhaps a few years later, without a driving force.
There are inputs and situations that you cannot directly control, no matter if they are right or wrong, you have to learn how to handle them. And the same goes for success: you have to learn to enjoy it to the fullest when it is there, without forgetting that it is never a point of arrival, it is a moment, today you are at the top, tomorrow you may have to start over. This is why I invest heavily in relationships and my greatest satisfaction is the loyalty of my team, because it is an achievement that I will never lose, no matter what happens with the budget forecasts.”

“You know, oddly enough, I had never stopped to think about what they call the glass ceiling. I admit that I had never really thought about it. Then, when preparing for this interview, I focused on the fact that at the beginning of my career I had the great fortune of having a woman as my boss. This certainly allowed me to follow my path with a different sense of serenity. But if I zoom out on my career, I realise that yes, that ceiling does exist. And mentorship is one of the most powerful tools for overcoming it. Let me give you an example: during my MBA, at the age of 27, we were asked to imagine our lives in ten years’ time. I wrote that I would be a marketing director, with three children and a dentist husband with a clinic. I achieved all this. But when I did, I realised that I could actually do even more, even better than my boss. That’s where I started to push myself further, but maybe I would have thought about it sooner if I had had a senior female mentor.
The truth is that, although the bulk of the commitment and sacrifices is personal, no one can do it alone. Like I said, it’s a marathon. Successful women often owe their success to having had the support of other women.

We must build and guard this network. In fact, if it were up to me, mentorship should be mandatory by law. Especially for junior women: let’s think for example about the moment when we face motherhood, when the whole world seems to tell you that you have to stop. In those moments, having a senior figure next to you who says “Everything will be fine, don’t forget who you are. Don’t give up, your baby will grow up one day and you can be both a good mother and a great professional.” It is a voice that can make the difference between finding yourself or losing yourself.
I have seen brilliant women quit their jobs, convinced it was the right choice, and find themselves lost years later. That’s why I insist: you need a guide, you need a voice to help you see beyond. And yes, men can be valuable mentors too, if they are willing to really listen. But conversations between women, especially for certain topics, have a different depth. Mentoring is the first step to changing the paradigm. And I, personally, would implement it right away.”

“There is no magic formula, but a truth that I have learned from experience: it is a complex puzzle that begins with you, but one you can never fully solve on your own.” It is a continuous search for balance, it is learning to let go of expectations and feelings of guilt that do not belong to you. First of all, it’s a matter of identity: you have to be honest as you form a vision of yourself and have the courage to act on it. The first thing to banish is fear: do you want something? Go and get it! Play your best game, pull out all the stops: you only live once, the perfect moment doesn’t exist. I am a mother of five children, I studied in business schools even while I was pregnant, I gave birth and I went back to the classroom a week after giving birth. Was I criticised? Of course I was. Why did I do it? Because I wanted, and I still want, to build something extraordinary, in addition to being a mother. Continuing to climb requires vision and endurance. Men have always worked as a team. We women still don’t do it enough. Not because of the myth that we don’t know how to work as a team, but because we are everywhere: at work, at home, picking up the children, talking to teachers.

We must learn to carve out networking spaces for ourselves, even if we are dead tired. Even when it breaks our heart to leave our children. A golden rule I’ve learned in my journey is that connections must be built before you need them.
And even at home, to our partner too, we must clearly state our true aspirations, because this sphere of support is also fundamental. My husband, for example, would never have chosen to see me live this life. But I wanted it; I did not ask his permission, I just informed him, and then, I wrote him a really touching letter in which I told him that my identity was partly shaped by my career, and that, if he didn’t agree, he could marry someone else. Luckily he stayed and he has always supported me. And yes, it is difficult, but not impossible. It takes courage, teamwork, and a clear vision of who we want to be. Because in the end, it’s not just about reconciling. It’s about choice. And I chose to be both: mother and leader.”