Traveling Around the World Hunting for Talent

A passion for human resources and a résume that, at just 35 years of age, includes some of the most important and well-known corporations in the international landscape. Today Antonio Calcò Labruzzo, from Palermo, a Bocconi graduate in Business Administration, is global head of human resources for the commodities trading giant Cofco, which is headquartered in Geneva. "We produce and buy commodities and raw materials from all over the world and resell them while arranging transportation. The volume and value of traded commodities are enormous."

Previously, Calcò Labruzzo worked for L'Oréal, General Electric, Vodafone, Heinz. At every career move he widened his set of skills. It was at Heinz that he acquired a taste for working abroad, always in head-hunting and human resources. "The real turning point occurred when I was working for Coesia in Bologna, as global head for talent. After two years I was sent to Shanghai, an experience I had always wanted do for personal as well as professional reasons. In this huge and ever-changing city I was responsible for the whole Asia-Pacific. My job consisted in integrating companies we had just acquired into the group and creating a corporate structure for that market region." Calcò Labruzzo remained almost three years in Shanghai, the time needed, he explains, "to locally establish a solid management team. It was a stimulating experience but also very hard work, since I was constantly travelling across Asia, in the fifteen national markets where we had business. After three years in China, I was given the opportunity to take on a global position and I decided to rise to the new challenge."

The choice was also influenced by the destination, Geneva, a highly cosmopolitan city where the quality of life is very high. He joined Cofco there in 2015: "Many multinationals operating in a vast range of industries have their HQs in Geneva," the manager explains. And he concludes by saying "In our offices, for example, only 5% personnel are Swiss, while the rest comprises 35 different nationalities. The official language is English. The international balance you find here is not common in the rest of the world, and that's why I think I'm in for a long stay here.. at least by my standards."