A Reference for CFOs from Bocconi
Chief Financial Officer & Rainmaker. This is the job title written on the door plaque of Fabio Lombardi, 42 years old, who got his MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management, and recently joined Nuvolab, a company that doubles as startup incubator and consulting firm on innovation. Fabio, who is responsible for the CFO Topic for the Bocconi Alumni Association (BAA), is also financial advisor of the MyFoody initiative against food waste.
➜ How did you make your debut in the financial corporate function?
After an experience as credit manager, I worked as financial director in a company and then, for ten years, as business and financial manager for Pramex International, a French corporation that helps companies do business in Italy. Clients were joint-stock companies that had opened subsidiaries on our peninsula. Since 2010, the management of M&A operations in Italy have been added to my business administration and cost control responsibilities. In short, I was a CFO being outsourced.
➜ And how did Nuvolab appear on your radar?
It was something that I strongly wanted. Having friends who went on to create startups, I realized that what they always needed was help with finance and control, skills that I have and that I want to put to use in this area.
➜ I read that you are also a rainmaker. What's that about?
It's how you refer to an innovation consultant in corporate jargon. And this is the second half of my job at Nuvolab, along with my tasks as CFO. I will consult for companies who need to improve their processes in projects of corporate innovation.
➜ What are the qualities that a good CFO must have?
He must be the company's first and best consultant, must know all the corporate functions and the details of its business logic, and must be able to make them apparent in financial reporting. Hence my choice, a few years ago, to do an MBA and not just a course on finance. Furthermore, good communication skills must not be lacking in a CFO, and this is particularly true for listed companies.
➜ What do you remember of your months at the SDA Bocconi MBA?
The discussions with my class colleagues. Meeting in the class at the end of my day of work (I attended the evening version) and compare my job experience with that of my peers. Given the great heterogeneity in the classroom, this was always a great learning moment. It was like being simultaneously exposed to all the corporate functions and managerial roles of a big company.
➜ Among your professional activities, there's also a pro bono consultancy for MyFoody. Why did you decide to do it?
Because I really like what they stand for, namely fighting against food waste in the supermarket industry. They already have their own CFO, I only provide some advice based on my job experience.
➜ You have record attendance at last year's BAA dinner speeches and you are Bocconi alumni's CFO Topic Leader: what are your plans for the group?
We want to develop our activities in two directions: make the role of the CFO better known, and organize events presenting the most innovative financial instruments, to illustrate how finance can be a tool for business growth.