Alfredo Ambrosetti

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Alfredo Ambrosetti
Born25 June 1931
Varese, Kingdom of Italy
Died6 September 2025(2025-09-06) (aged 94)
Varese, Italy
Alma materUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
OccupationManagement consultant
Years active1954–2025
Board member ofThe European House - Ambrosetti
SpouseMaria Ambrosetti Conte
ChildrenAntonio Ambrosetti, Chiara Ambrosetti

Alfredo Ambrosetti (25 June 1931 – 6 September 2025) was an Italian management consultant, regarded as one of the pioneers of business consultancy in Italy and best known for founding the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio.

Early life and education

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Ambrosetti's father, Antonio, owned two garages and a fuel station in Varese and was active as sports executive in cycling — he chaired the organising committee for the 1951 UCI Road World Championships.[1][2] Antonio named his son after the champion rider Alfredo Binda, who had married a relative of the family.[3]

After graduating from high‑school, Ambrosetti studied economics at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and earned his degree in 1954.[4] Upon graduating he joined the Edison company and, after a period in Italy, the firm awarded him a scholarship in 1959 to pursue a master's degree at the Syracuse University, in the United States. Through Edison's managing director Giorgio Valerio, Ambrosetti later worked with prominent companies such as IBM, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Kodak and Standard Oil.[5][6]

Career

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Returning from the U.S., Ambrosetti continued his career at Edison but also began giving lectures and providing business‑development consultancy, which was then a nascent sector in Italy. When the Italian government nationalised electricity production in 1963 he turned down a position at the newly created ENEL and decided to focus exclusively on consultancy.[5] In 1965 he established Studio Ambrosetti in Milan with three collaborators. One of the firm's first clients was the Bombrini Parodi Delfino group; Ambrosetti forged lasting relationships with executives Mario Schimberni and Cesare Romiti.[7]

Over the years, Ambrosetti's firm evolved into an internationally known think tank that combined consultancy and research, organised training meetings and promoted dialogue among institutions, business leaders and academics. In 1973 Ambrosetti launched the Aggiornamento Permanente (AP, which was later translated in English as "Lifelong Learning") programme of roughly one hundred meetings a year to help people in high‑responsibility roles develop leadership skills, broaden their strategic vision and build networks.[8][9] He also sat on the boards of companies such as Marzotto and Barilla; for the latter he assisted Pietro Barilla in buying back the majority stake from W.R. Grace & Co.[10][11][6]

During a session of the Aggiornamento Permanente in 1974, Ambrosetti and scientist Umberto Colombo decided to merge discussions on research, economics and socio‑politics into one event.[12] Their idea led to the creation of the Ambrosetti Forum at Villa d'Este (Cernobbio), whose inaugural edition in 1975 had modest attendance because it was held in early July and coincided with U.S. Independence Day. Encouraged by fellow economist Beniamino Andreatta, Ambrosetti persevered; moving the gathering to September and increasing investment turned the "Cernobbio Forum" into a strategic meeting point for economic, academic, institutional and political leaders worldwide.[12][13][14]

Between 1986 and 1992 the Studio Ambrosetti collaborated with Italian television host Piero Angela to produce “Quark Economia” and “Quark Europa”, two TV programmes that explained contemporary finance and the challenges of European integration.[15][16][17][18][19] In the same years, the Aggiornamento Permanente was extended to the United States.[20]

In 2002, Ambrosetti helped promote Varese’s successful bid to host the 2008 UCI Road World Championships.[3] In 2007, he was awarded the title of Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour of the Italian Republic)[21] and stepped down from Studio Ambrosetti (renamed The European House – Ambrosetti in 2005) at the end of 2008, while remaining honorary president until 2016.[22][23][24]

In his later years he organised initiatives in his native Varese on topics such as sport, safety, economics and politics.[25][26][27] He published autobiographical books and gave some interviews commenting on contemporary Italian and international affairs.[28]

Personal life

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Ambrosetti married Maria Conte (nicknamed “Lella”), and the couple's marriage lasted 55 years; they had two children, Antonio and Chiara.[29][30][31]

Death and burial

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Ambrosetti lived his whole life in Varese and died there on 6 September 2025, after a short stay in hospital; his public funeral was held on 9 September in the St. Victor Basilica (the main church of the city), celebrated by Bishop Vincenzo Paglia and attended by senator‑for‑life and former prime minister Mario Monti and economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti. He's buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Giubiano.

Honours and awards

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References

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  1. ^ Chi siamo - trevallivaresine.info
  2. ^ Ambrosetti, ieri e oggi - varesemese.it, 4 Feb. 2019
  3. ^ a b Alfredo Ambrosetti: grande imprenditore, inventore e amico del ciclismo - inpuntadisellino.it, 10 Sep. 2025
  4. ^ Disciplina Giuridica del Controllo Statale sugli Enti Pubblici Economici, tesi di laurea di Alfredo Ambrosetti, relatore prof. Vittorio Scardovi, 1954 - opac.unicatt.it
  5. ^ a b «La mia carriera l'hanno decisa i treni che andavano a Varese» - ilgiornale.it, 5 Jun. 2018
  6. ^ a b From the preface by Ferruccio De Bortoli to Alfredo Ambrosetti, La mia storia: tanto studio, tanto lavoro, tante innovazioni, grandi soddisfazioni, Milan, Egea, 2017. ISBN 978-88-238-8070-2
  7. ^ Alfredo Ambrosetti: «Il primo Forum di Cernobbio? Disastroso, ma Andreatta mi incoraggiò. Conobbi Agnelli alla toilette. Berlusconi il più simpatico» - corriere.it, 20 Dec. 2023
  8. ^ What we do - ambrosetti.eu, Archived on 11 Nov. 2011
  9. ^ È morto Alfredo Ambrosetti: il fondatore del Forum di Cernobbio aveva 94 anni - tg24.sky.it, 6 Sep. 2025
  10. ^ Colpo di scena al vertice della Snia Marzotto si dimette, Rossi presidente - La Stampa, 25 Oct. 1981
  11. ^ Barilla vuole creare un «polo» dell'alimentare made in Italy - La Stampa, 31 May 1988
  12. ^ a b Alfredo Ambrosetti: «Varese, ecco finalmente il mio regalo per te» - varesenews.it, 27 Apr. 2018
  13. ^ Quando il centro della politica si sposta a Rimini, e poi sul lago di Como - ilpost.it, 19 Aug. 2025
  14. ^ Al forum di Cernobbio le cose più rilevanti succedono nelle pause - ilpost.it, 7 Sep. 2025
  15. ^ Radiocorriere TV nr. 42, 1986, p. 118
  16. ^ Ci porterà anche in Borsa il nuovo «Quark» di Angela - Corriere della Sera, 5 Sep. 1986, p. 25
  17. ^ Angela esplora l'economia - La Stampa, 19 Sep. 1986
  18. ^ Io metto l'economia sotto il microscopio - l'Unità, 28 Sep. 1986
  19. ^ Radiocorriere TV nr. 40, 1992, p. 86
  20. ^ La vita straordinaria di Alfredo Ambrosetti - Speciale Rete55 - youtube.com/rete55tv, 23 Oct. 2018
  21. ^ Chi sono i 25 nuovi Cavalieri del lavoro - gazzettadimantova.it, 1 Jun. 2007
  22. ^ 50 anni del Forum di Cernobbio - ambrosetti.eu
  23. ^ Alfredo Ambrosetti è morto, addio al fondatore del Forum di Cernobbio: aveva 94 anni - repubblica.it, 6 Sep. 2025
  24. ^ Forum di Cernobbio, morto il fondatore Alfredo Ambrosetti: aveva 94 anni - adnkronos.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  25. ^ Alfredo Ambrosetti, il fondatore del Forum di Cernobbio: «La vera età non è quella anagrafica ma il rapporto tra rimpianti e progetti» - corriere.it, 6 Sep. 2025
  26. ^ Alfredo Ambrosetti riceve la “Stella d’oro al merito sportivo” dal Coni - varesenews.it, 12 Jan. 2024
  27. ^ Special Olympics Italia rende omaggio a Giorgio Armani e Alfredo Ambrosetti - specialolympics.it, 8 Sep. 2025
  28. ^ "Il ddl Zan è assurdo. Sarebbe meglio rinviarlo all'infinito" - La Verità, 9 Sep. 2021
  29. ^ Serata di auguri e premiazioni degli Amici del Cairoli di Varese: una targa all’avvocato Zuccaro - varesenews.it, 30 Nov. 2024
  30. ^ Varese dice addio ad Alfredo Ambrosetti, monsignor Paglia: “Abbiamo conosciuto un profeta” - varesenews.it, 9 Sep. 2025
  31. ^ Varese: È morto Alfredo Ambrosetti - rete55.it, 6 Sep. 2025
  32. ^ Cavaliere del Lavoro - website of the Italian President
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