GIOVANNA FURLANETTO: President

Giovanna Furlanetto is the President of Furla, one of the major players in the world leather goods market. In the 1970s, along with her brothers Carlo and Paolo, she took over from her father Aldo who founded the company in 1927. Together they began to produce a Furla brand collection, pursuing an incredible expansion plan for the firm's distribution network that today counts 319 single-brand boutiques in 63 countries and a distribution network of over a thousand official sales outlets.

In June 2007 Giovanna Furlanetto was publicly honoured by the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna when she was named World Ambassador of the Italian Economy. In 2008 she was also knighted for her services to industry by the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano. He wished to honour the businesswoman with the highest recognition that our country pays to entrepreneurs who have contributed to the growth of Italian-made goods, bringing prestige and glamour to the Italian economy worldwide.

Her love for contemporary art led her to found the Premio Furla award in collaboration with the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice. The prize is dedicated to supporting contemporary Italian artists. Over the years it has won recognition and prestige in cultural circles.