APPOINTMENTS & COMPANY NEWS 29ADF NOVEMBER 2019 WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
I
t is with great sadness that the Mapei
Group announces the passing of its
President, Giorgio Squinzi, who died in
Milan on the evening of 2ndOctober.
Born in 1943, with a degree in Industrial
Chemistry, Giorgio Squinzi (a second-
generation businessman) became the Sole
Administrator of Mapei in 1984 after the
death of his father, Rodolfo, who founded
the company in 1937. Under his leadership,
the company grew over the years to become
one of the world’s leading players in chemical
products for the building industry, and
currently operates in 56 countries through
89 subsidiaries. The Mapei Group, which
employs over 10,500 staff, manufactures
across five continents through 83 factories
in 36 countries. This internationalisation
process began long ago; the Group’s first
foreign offices opened in Canada back
in 1978.
Not only did he devote his life to his family
and company, his innovative vision and social
work made an important contribution to
business associations, the world of sport, and
the wider community in his home city and the
rest of the world.
In 1996 he was awarded the ‘Ambrogino
d’oro” (one of the city’s highest awards) by
the Mayor of Milan for his contribution to
the city in the realms of both business and
sport, and in 1998 he was knighted for his
services to industry. In 2013 the President of
the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano,
bestowed upon him the honour of being
made a Grand Officer of the “Order of Merit
of the Italian People”.
Giorgio Squinzi held important posts in
both Italian and international business
associations. He was President of the Italian
Federation of Chemical Industries from 1997-
2003 and then again from 2005-2011. He
was also the leader of CEFIC, the European
Council of Chemical Industries, which
represents 29,000 companies in this sector,
for a two-year period (2010-2012).
He was the President of the Italian
Industrial Federation from May 2012-
May 2016.
Giorgio Squinzi’s motto was “Never stop
pedalling”, epitomising his approach to work
and life. The expression actually comes from
cycling, a passion for which he inherited from
his father, Rodolfo. This love of cycling ledGiorgio Squinzi to sponsor the Mapei
professional cycling team that won a total of
654 races from 1993-2002, reaching the very
top of all the different international rankings.
Mapei’s links to cycling go way back and still
continue today through its partnership with
the UCI (International Cycling Union):
Mapei is the Main Sponsor of the Road
World Championships.
Giorgio Squinzi’s love of sport also
extended to football. He took over Sassuolo
Calcio in 2002, and in just a few years the
club was promoted from Serie C2 to Serie A
and is now firmly established among the
leading clubs in the country’s top division.
Opera was another of Giorgio Squinzi’sgreat passions. He always attended the first
night at La Scala in Milan and was a great
opera fan. He was a member of the Opera
House’s Board of Directors from 2016 and
Mapei has been a Permanent Founding
Member since 2008.
His expertise, precision and passion will
now be taken up by his children, Veronica
and Marco, who were appointed as Chief
Executive Officers in July 2019.
They will lead the group along the path
first trodden with such far-sighted vision by
Rodolfo and then Giorgio Squinzi.0121 508 6970
http://www.mapei.co.uk“Never stop pedalling”
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