Friends of Genoa Foundation is established to promote and enhance the city and its artistic heritage

Thanks to Aon plc, the world’s leading professional services company, the “Friends of Genoa” Foundation has been established with the aim of revitalizing the city of Genoa and revaluing as well as promoting its artistic and cultural heritage, both in Italy and abroad. In fact, the Foundation will support restoration projects, promote cultural exchange activities, organize unprecedented visiting routes, promote projects and scholarships, help organize art exhibitions and conferences, and animate “think tank” meetings on innovation and environmental sustainability projects.

Since the Middle Ages, the Ligurian capital has been a world hub of economic exchange and power. In the 16th century Genoa experienced an era of extraordinary expansion that brought the most important aristocratic families to take part in the life of the city. The best architects, artists and painters of the time from all over Europe came here, splendid palaces were built, and their collections of paintings and works of art still enchant today. Many of these treasures have remained hidden and unknown to most; they therefore need to be revalued.

At the helm of the Foundation is a high-profile Board of Directors; the highest offices go to two members of prominent Genoese business families: Chairman publisher Carlo Perrone, owner until 2014 of Genoa’s main daily newspaper, Il Secolo XIX, now part of the GEDI publishing group, of which Perrone is now Vice Chairman, in addition to holding important positions in the national and international publishing world; Vice Chairman Cavaliere del Lavoro Paolo Clerici, Chairman and CEO of Coeclerici, who has long supported Genoa with philanthropic activities through the Foundation that bears his name.

Five Board members: Cavaliere del Lavoro Pietro Salini, CEO of the Webuild Group, who supported the city’s recovery with the reconstruction of the Morandi Bridge; Carlo Puri Negri, Genoese by birth, member of the Pirelli family, brilliant entrepreneur both in the Pirelli Group and in other major companies, now chairman of Blue Sgr Spa; Cavaliere del Lavoro Carlo Clavarino, Genoese, now executive chairman, business international of Aon, creator of the foundation and major sponsor of the city; Emanuela Brignone Cattaneo Adorno, a distinguished Parisian architect who for decades has been a Genoese member of one of the city’s most important aristocratic families; Tea Raggi De Marini, Head of the Foundation’s Operational Management, also from an ancient Genoese aristocratic family, an art historian with a career in PR first in the Martini & Rossi Group and then in FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano.

An International Advisory Committee to support and promote the Foundation’s activities in the world, which has had the membership, to date, of some important members, such as Stephen Schwarzman - Founder and CEO of Blackstone Group, USA; Greg Case - CEO of Aon, USA; Kwan Yoon - member of the family of industrialists of LG Group, Korea; André Desmarais - President and largest shareholder of Power Corporation, Canada; Jose Manuel Entrecanales - President of Acciona Group, a world leader in Renewable Energy, Spain; Rolly Van Rappard - Founder and largest shareholder of private equity giant CVC, Netherlands. Many other countries will be added to the international roster.

An influential Scientific Committee is being established that will bring together eminent academics and cultural figures from Italy and abroad.

The Friends of Genoa Foundation will be headquartered in Genoa, in one of the most representative historic buildings on Via Garibaldi at No. 5, the Palazzo di Angelo Giovanni Spinola.

Photo by Francesco Bini.

Friends of Genoa Foundation is established to promote and enhance the city and its artistic heritage

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