Her Passion Lies in Strategic Marketing

Sandra Picciarelli has been involved in the launch of influential campaigns for international brands, undertaking global roles within large companies. However, if she had never left her comfort zone in Italy and worked towards reaching her professional goals, her life would be very different. “Perhaps, early on, I would not have knowingly understood what I really enjoy doing — strategic marketing, innovation and global brand communication strategies,” explains the Bocconi University Business Administration graduate. Her CV includes stints at Uniliver — where she worked on the Dove brand — followed by Danone and Sephora. She has lived in Spain and France, as well as Canada during her university days, and has worked in multinationals such as IBM in Italy. “If I had not done so, I certainly would not have unlocked my potential. I often suggest for people to also work abroad; I was able to advance in my career this way, assuming responsibilities with global reach and managing a large team,” adds Picciarelli. She knows well that not every professional experience has an immediate payoff, but she says that “regardless, you must embrace challenges and cultivate new opportunities, and you can do so by beginning to network as early as your university years. Networking is crucial to dialogue and exchange ideas. I believe that, especially at Bocconi, the university is an ecosystem comprised of peers, faculty and mentors among others, who inspire beyond studies and work — helping us evolve.”
In Picciarelli’s case, she sat in Bocconi’s classrooms and already felt a push toward an international business environment. When she then participated in the launch of the first global Dove campaign for Unilever, focused on authentic beauty, she knew at that moment where her professional passion lay. “I wanted to be the next person to present an international campaign on the market,” she continues, “with a very strong message, able to appeal to the practical and emotional needs of the consumer and, at the same time, cabable of speaking not only to people’s hearts, but also to their brains — both the right and left side.” (Editor’s note: According to the Treccani definition, humans’ left brain hemisphere controls language functions, while the right hemisphere is responsible for emotional regulation.)
Throughout Picciarelli’s career, there has been a guiding thread. “I come from a family of doctors, whom supported my decision to pursue economics but they were far away during my studies. Attention to detail is something I inherited from my parents. My mother, in particular, supported my decision to study economics at university, in a relationship driven by – what I would call – female empowerment,” emphasizes the executive who, after a series of meetings, is currently a mentor herself as well as a business angel. “I started by collaborating with start-ups who were in the incubation period – assisting female founders only, however. I firmly believe in communication and empowerment; it is why I am a mentor and advisor today.”