About me | AnnaDeStefano

Something about my professional background

Overview

I have always searched to create value and build organizations that are resilient, motivated and collaborative, joining professional expertise, demanding standards, and a good dose of humor.

Meaningful innovation is one of my driving lights, empowerment, inclusiveness, and collaboration are the best instruments.

Education is one of my focus, "shot for the moon" gives the power for motivation.

Making a positive impact and giving back is also part of my professional mission

Organization Strategy People coaching Consensus building Connecting dots
Great writing experience Innovation

Pragmatism and diplomacy Team

Memento years

I've been serving as General Manager of Memento since its beginning in 1994, when we were four people around a desk, through more than twenty years in which it has gained and maintained the leading position in its industry segment, with more than 40 people and 10M euro turnover.

In these years I led through many changes in developing teams, adjusting strategies, building robust financial results, creating a trusted relationship with clients and distributors, integrating new competencies for the digital transformation and up-skilling the team, overcoming the two crisis of 9/11 and 2008-2009 (and in 2017 the rebuilding in 3 months in emergency of all the back-office systems).

In these years, Memento also led the industry innovation both in products' creation and in marketing strategies which still constitute its brand image and positioning, with a first prize won in 2018 at the Italian Key Media Awards in the Media and Entertainment category, and very innovative social media campaigns since 2014 that, as an example, were the first to collaborate with instagram blogger to present legal books or used comic strips to explain legal news.

Creating a great legal writing experience has been one of my key achievements which I shared with the team over the course of the years.

I have been part of the European Innovation Committee of the Lefebvre- Sarrut group, one of the company's shareholders, the other one being Wolters Kluwer Italy (part of the leading Wolters Kluwer group).

Innovation years

Since 2018 I am actively engaged in a set of activities related to innovation in the startup ecosystem and in the legal innovation movement.

I invest as an angel investor and I am part of the biggest Italian Business Angels Association, Italian Angels for Growth. My philosophy is that to create a great business you first have to coach a great team that has strong motivation and values.

Leveraging on my comprehensive executive experience, I serve as a mentor and advisor to startups to help them structuring their organization according to the different phases of their growth, defining their business strategy and adjusting it, collaborating to their communication strategy also towards investors, motivating and coaching the team, evaluating their legal framework.

I am a selector and mentor in one of the most well known Italian innovation programs, BHeroes, in an organization that helps startups in the emerging countries, Seedstars, and in Impact Hub Milan, thus I have developed a wide knowledge of industries, companies and investors. I am also a mentor of Legal Geek, a UK organization specialized in legal innovation.

On a more academic activity, I have been Chief Entrepreneur Mentor in the European Innovation Academy program which teaches international university students to go in 15 days from idea to startup and in the Business for Innovation program of the Bocconi University.

I am part of the #makelawbetter.org movement which wants to provide tools and solutions for the legal sector to cope with the covid crisis and the world after.

I lecture about leadership, innovation, team development and legal innovation, always with a human centered point of view.

Interests

Out of office

I'm an eager traveler, curious about life, in search of humanity in its various declinations and different cultures.

Theater addicted, music lover, art enthusiast, I do believe "beauty will save the world".

Cooking and hosting family and friends are two of my favorite hobbies, hiking in the mountains my greatest open-air one.

I am a Member of Shetec and of the Guggenheim Venice Circle, happily aiding where I can.