My name is Andrea Papaleo, and for over ten years I have been involved in digital innovation, process automation, and the development of advanced technological solutions. My career has developed across major players in the financial and insurance sectors, consulting firms, and leading companies in innovation, allowing me to acquire a cross-functional perspective and solid experience in managing complex projects, leading multidisciplinary teams, and promoting a culture oriented towards change.
Current Role and Vision of Innovation
I currently hold the position of Head of Digital Application at Banca Generali, where I am responsible for leading the digitization strategy of the institution’s application portfolio. In this context, I coordinate the Technology Hub and Business Platform teams, with the goal of optimizing existing processes and developing new features to benefit clients, the network of financial advisors, and headquarters employees. My approach is based on constant collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to identify growth opportunities and provide emerging technologies that can truly make a difference. I firmly believe that innovation is not just a matter of technology, but above all a mindset: it means knowing how to listen, observe the real needs of people, and translate them into concrete, sustainable, and scalable solutions. At Banca Generali, I have had the opportunity to work on strategic projects that have helped transform the way the bank interacts with its network of advisors and partners, promoting a widespread and inclusive digital culture and bringing benefits to the end customers.
Education and Awards
My academic training took place at the University of Milan-Bicocca, where I earned a Master’s Degree in Economic Sciences with the highest honors (110 cum laude), after completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Commerce, also with the highest honors. I enriched my path with an Erasmus experience at the International Business School of Budapest, which allowed me to engage with international contexts and develop an open and curious mindset. I was the national winner of the “Business Game” competition organized by LIUC University of Castellanza, a business management simulation that allowed me to test my decision-making and problem-solving skills in a competitive and stimulating environment.
Languages and international openness
I speak Italian fluently (native), have a good knowledge of English (level B2), French (B1), German (B1), and a basic knowledge of Japanese (A1). I believe that my linguistic and cultural openness has greatly helped and allowed me to work effectively in international contexts and to relate to interlocutors from diverse backgrounds.
Key Experiences and Professional Growth
My professional journey began at Accenture S.p.A., where I held the position of Systems & Business Integration Analyst at the client Zurich Insurance Italy. In this role, I was responsible for requirements gathering, functional analysis, and quality testing of the enhancement requests for accounting applications and the management of the Non-Life portfolio. I designed the securities migration engine from a decommissioned application to the new accounting application and planned the activities of a team of senior developers, gaining solid foundations in managing complex IT projects and collaborating with high-level stakeholders. Subsequently, I took on the role of Business Consultant & PMO at Be Think, Solve, Execute, S.p.A., where I worked on significant projects for Unicredit, including the upgrade of the investment securities management platform (“CAD2.0”) and the creation of the new Cordusio SIM S.p.A., dedicated to financial consulting for high-profile clients. My growth continued at Fincons Group as Team Lead & Business Analyst, where I led development teams, performed functional process analysis, planned software release activities, and supported the UAT phase, with particular attention to quality and adherence to business needs. I then had the opportunity to work as Technology Consultant & PMO at Accenture S.p.A., this time on projects for Cattolica Assicurazioni, including the Giulietta project, dedicated to the acquisition of joint ventures for the sale of insurance products through Bancassurance agreements. In this context, I directly supported the CIO in project management activities and coordinated project streams related to Non-Life Portfolio, Accounting, Business Intelligence, and technological infrastructure integration. The most recent experience before joining Banca Generali was at Vittoria Assicurazioni as Head of IT for the Auto Portfolio. Here, I managed development teams and planned activities related to Auto Demand, also serving as Project Manager for the “Vittoria con te” project, which enabled the agency network to offer Auto, Elementary Branches, and Life guarantees in a single issuance. As Scrum Master of the “Quietanzamento Evoluto” project, I also led the implementation of innovative solutions for the automatic generation of commercial proposals, contributing to improving the quality and personalization of the service offered to clients.
Technical and managerial skills
Over the years, I have developed advanced skills in artificial intelligence, BPM and LowCode platforms, RPA technologies, and major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure). I have a solid command of project management tools such as Jira, Trello, and TFS. I have adopted and promoted Agile methodologies to ensure flexibility, transparency, and speed in project execution. Among the technologies that excite me are Copilot Studio, ChatGPT, Decktopus, Beautiful AI, Notebooklm, Sesami, Claude, and Krea.ai for AI; Pega and Outsystems for Business Process Automation; PowerAutomate for Robotic Process Automation; SQL and MongoDB for data management. I believe this variety of tools allows tackling the most complex challenges with an integrated and results-oriented approach.
Leadership and Change Management
One of the aspects I am most passionate about in my work is the opportunity to lead change, inspiring people to overcome their limits and collaborate to achieve ambitious goals. So far, I have been fortunate to work with diverse teams composed of professionals with different backgrounds and to experiment with innovative organizational models based on empowerment, knowledge sharing, and talent development. I believe that effective leadership is based on the ability to listen, motivate, and create an inclusive work environment where everyone can express their potential. In every project I have managed, I have sought to promote a culture of experimentation, continuous learning, and customer orientation, convinced that only in this way is it possible to generate lasting value for the organization and society.
Personal vision and future
Looking to the future, I am convinced that true innovation arises from the integration of technological skills, strategic vision, and human sensitivity. In my opinion, artificial intelligence represents a real game changer: a lever capable of radically transforming processes, services, and business models, provided it is adopted with awareness, responsibility, and ethics. My goal is to continue contributing to the digital transformation of organizations, always putting people at the center and promoting a sustainable and inclusive approach to the adoption of new technologies. I remain constantly open to new challenges and growth opportunities, with the determination to be a protagonist and facilitator of innovation that can generate concrete value, improve people's lives, and build a future where technology and humanity can evolve together.
