A tailor-made career
“For me, work was all-consuming, I threw myself into it with a passion. Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to myself more and to focus on doing what gives me satisfaction, more than anyone else. And that’s my advice to younger people.” Emanuela Corghi is Head of Group Indirect Procurement EMEA at EssilorLuxottica, where she manages billions of euros of investments for the French-Italian multinational, born from the visionary idea of Leonardo Del Vecchio.
Her initial contact with the company, where she’s been working for eleven years now, came after a career in consultancy and a very traditional degree. Nothing fancy, she says. “When it came to choosing what to study, it was all about being pragmatic, back then. I was a ‘good girl.’ First, classical studies in high school, and then the choice between economics and law.” A fork in the road that Corghi left to fate: “I said to myself: if I pass the test at Bocconi, it will be Economics, otherwise law at the Statale [the public university] in Milan!”
In the end, she was admitted to Bocconi and graduated in 1996. “At that point I took the more traditional route and started working as a consultant in one of the Big Five: EY. It was certainly a stimulating path that allowed me to see different sectors and work on projects, training that later turned out to be indispensable,” she adds. However, the consulting environment has its limitations. “The issue of gender differences didn’t come up then, but that wasn’t a good thing: we were all juniors who had to be trained and molded to a certain standard. There was little room for exuberance.” Not the ideal environment for someone with a human, relational, or creative mind.
The opportunity to launch came with Bravosolution, a company in the Italcementi Group, which was looking for a procurement and supply chain consultant. “It was a chance to see the impact of the decisions I was making from the inside, in a department that had a huge impact on the income statement.” Corghi grew in her role, and was later offered a position at Reckitt Benckiser, where she gently took over from a procurement colleague and established herself as an empathetic leader. Then, out of the blue: a call from Luxottica.
“It’s the company that took me in, where I grew to the point of taking on an international role. From the very beginning, I remember feeling the potential of the company and being honored to be part of it. What impressed me was Del Vecchio’s vision, there was always something to learn, it just took a quick chat in the hallway,” she adds. Over the years, Corghi has been responsible for investing in and managing special projects centering on integrating various acquisitions: from GrandVision to Essilor. A constant exercise in problem solving, with ever-increasing responsibility.
Today Corghi’s advice to the women of tomorrow: “Choose a career path that’s tailored to you, because your needs and motivations in life change as you get older, and your work, if it’s right for you, should do the same.” So a career is a bit like a dress you feel comfortable in; it fits like a glove and it’s never too tight.
