With a degree from Bocconi University and an MBA in Finance from New York University, Leonard Stern School of Business, Roberto Marsella lived in New York for almost twenty years working for Merrill Lynch, UBS, Deutsche Bank. He was Investment Director and Head of Business Development for Fondo Strategico Italiano and is currently Head of Private Assets within the Generali Group, investing in private equity and private debt funds. Roberto Marsella is, above all, an investor by passion. He made his first personal private equity investment in 1991. Business Angel of the Year 2023, he believes that ‘helping the development of a company and its management is like raising children: it requires patience… and they don’t always listen to you! But the satisfaction is great’. His personal mission is to grow companies, create jobs and leave a positive impact, helping start-ups find their way, supporting them with his contacts and experience.