How did you get started in the industry?
I graduated in the early nineties and safety was a new thing in the Italian industry. The European Directives had just come out and there was plenty of room to make our way. I tried and stayed there.
Do you have a motto or saying that you live by?
In one of the most fulfilling periods of my professional life, I created and led a group of enthusiastic young technicians. I had two signs on the wall behind my desk, in my office. The first said: “the best is the enemy of the good”, a saying attributed to Voltaire but which he himself says is an Italian popular proverb. This is because if we wait for the time to do things perfectly we will never do them. In work as in life, you must always take calculated risks. In the second there was a sentence attributed to the philosopher Aristotle, which became famous in its Latin version: “Verum scire est scire per causas”, which means that you know things only when you know their causes. This is to remind that a professional is one who knows things, and doesn’t work by hearsay.
Who or what inspires you?
Old people inspire me with their stories. It inspires me to see in the world the beauty and goodness of man: a country road, a cultivated field, a bridge. A building built long ago to leave its mark and which today has made peace with the landscape.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would like to eat the “Urciòn” from Romagna that my mother was used to make and which I will not be able to eat anymore. A triangular-shaped ravioli as big as an ear = “urciò”, made with the pastry with spinach and filled with a mixture of ricotta, parmesan and nutmeg. Topped only with melted butter, grated parmesan and a sage leaf.
What advice would you give to someone looking to getting started in the industry?
Patience, tenacity, simplicity, and never think you have learned enough.
How do you unwind and relax?
I love to ride a motorcycle through the hills between Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Marche and stop at the piadina kiosks or the small town restaurants. Maybe I take a book with me to read in a park after lunch.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years time I hope I’ll spend my time between home, wherever it will be, and around the world (damn Covid) to meet new people for work.
Would you recommend a career in the HSE industry?
Guys, do whatever you want in life. Only two things: be honest and enthusiastic.
Grazie Antonio, lovely to find out more about you and your background. If you have a question you would like to ask Antonio or another member of the HSE People Panel let us know info@hsepeople.com
