He calls himself a car enthusiast and for him, working at Pirelli was a dream come true. Riccardo, Key account manager and car dealer coordinator for Pirelli, attended the Faculty of Economics in Pisa after finishing his science-based secondary school, while at the same time completing further studies at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. During his university career, he had the opportunity to study in England for six months, thanks to the Erasmus project, and to move to China for a work experience as part of an Italian bank programme.
When did you start working at Pirelli?
“In 2015. After having been abroad, I took an opportunity to join Pirelli's headquarters in Milan. They were looking for figures for a new project, called Prestige which also involves Motor sports. For me, as a car enthusiast, it was a dream come true”.
He now works for Pirelli in Germany. How did you get there?
“The Prestige project developed over the following years, leading to the need for contact persons in the main local markets. I stayed in Milan until 2017, where I was able to get to know the Pirelli world better. Then, when they asked me to move to Munich as part of the Prestige team, I readily accepted”.
What prompted you to move?
“It was an experience I wanted to have so as soon as the opportunity arose I grabbed it. At the beginning, I only worked on the Prestige project, but I subsequently had the opportunity to follow the car dealer channel too, supporting the sector manager”.
Are you happy in Germany?
“Pirelli is like a family abroad and I've found my second home here. You need to prove your worth, not least because it is not always easy to fit into a different culture. Coming from the Headquarters, I was able to combine the experience acquired in Milan with the local one. It is an interesting, never mundane cultural exchange, and having had some experience abroad during my university career probably helped me.”
What else did you find useful from your university course?
“It was essential to have acquired good quantitative notions, to have done statistical studies and to have gained confidence with numbers. We also need languages, especially English. University studies in Italy are very theoretical, providing you with a forma mentis that does help you, but it is equally important to have practical experience, if possible as soon as the first year. All these aspects provide support, but what should never be lacking is the desire to learn.”
And what did Pirelli give you?
“Two things, above all. The first is a strong human dimension: the people I have met and worked with have always conveyed a sense of teamwork and family spirit. The second is the chance to see and learn a lot. Pirelli is a very challenging company, but at the same time it offers you interesting opportunities. I did not limit myself to just my job, and this allowed me to see how a multinational company works. And I must say that here, there is an open dialogue across all company levels, which is not always a given in complex businesses. Pirelli takes you closer to all sectors and this helps you always learn something new.”
How did this happen?
“Day after day, but above all through a scheme called Warming Up. It lasts two years, welcoming and accompanying new recruits, making them understand all about the Pirelli world, from production to research and development to communication, helping them know more about the various sectors, even those that have nothing to do with their daily job. It also gave me the opportunity to meet often with my fellow new Pirelli recruits. This created a network among us, allowing us to nurture our friendships and have a point of contact in different jobs, allowing us to work more efficiently.”
