Family Business and Innovation: Leonardo Bagnoli of Sammontana Italia at ESE Florence

How do you keep a family legacy alive? What is the secret behind a family business that lasts for generations?

The answer is as simple as it is powerful: LOVE.

At the European School of Economics (ESE) we teach that every enterprise is the materialization of an inner state of being. This philosophy came to life brilliantly when our Florence campus had the honour of hosting Leonardo Bagnoli, President of Sammontana Holding, for an exclusive guest lecture on family business and innovation.

With immense passion, Bagnoli shared the story of Sammontana Italia. He traced the company’s journey from its artisanal origins to key contemporary milestones, including the acquisition of the Forno d’Asolo Group, the opening of the company to the external partner Investindustrial, and its bold expansion into the American market.

He also discussed a historic turning point for the family: his transition from CEO to President and the appointment, for the first time, of an external CEO. This strategic decision perfectly illustrates how to combine heritage with forward-thinking innovation.

During the lecture, Bagnoli emphasized that love for the company is the true driving force behind long-term success. This devotion sometimes requires adopting a new corporate structure, all while ensuring that the founding family’s values – passion, pride, balance, respect, and listening – are shared across all levels of the organization, reaching every single one of the company’s 2,400 employees.

Students enrolled in our british degree programmes and specialized courses were deeply engaged, seizing the opportunity to ask profound questions about leadership, decision-making, and balancing family tradition with aggressive business growth.

When one student asked, “How do you ensure that new managers understand and respect the family’s vision?” Bagnoli replied:

“It’s all about sharing our love for the company and living the values every day. When you lead with love, people feel it and follow it.”

The interactive Q&A gave students a rare, first-hand look into the mind of a top executive navigating the complexities of a globally recognized brand. We extend a special thanks to Leonardo Bagnoli, to Elisa Pescetto (Senior Account Manager, Weber Shandwick) for organizing the event, and to our third-year BSc student Elisa Polemi, who moderated the session with exceptional professionalism and insight.

Across all our international campuses, ESE focuses on experiential learning and direct engagement with industry titans. Bagnoli’s experience stands as a powerful example of family entrepreneurship in practice, aligning perfectly with ESE’s human-centered academic offering, which includes a dedicated module on Family Business.

His testimony beautifully echoed the foundational philosophy of the European School of Economics. As ESE President Elio D’Anna highlights:

“Before a business comes into existence, it has already been ‘dreamed.’ Someone has nurtured its birth within their heart, believing in it with unwavering faith—against all odds, against the judgment of others, and often against themselves, battling and dispelling their own doubts. […] The vastness and brilliance of that dream are the genetic code of the enterprise itself.”

Leonardo Bagnoli’s visit proved exactly this: that love, vision, and deeply rooted values remain the indestructible core of every enduring business.