Tuesday, 03 November 2026 03:30 AM
Company Update
Marking a decade in business, the Italian-based firm looks at how a company's strategy should shape the choice of its top executive, including when owners and management are based in different countries.
MILAN, IT / ACCESS Newswire / November 3, 2026 / Bezzi & Mazzurana - Head Hunting, an Italian executive search boutique, is marking ten years in business. The anniversary is an occasion to look at one of the most consequential decisions a company makes: who it chooses to lead it into the future.
A new investor coming in, a generational handover, an acquisition or a push into new markets: at moments like these, a company's goals and priorities shift, and so do the skills needed to deliver them. Appointing a CEO or general manager at such a point is about more than replacing whoever held the job before.
"A new leader's profile should be built around the plan, not the predecessor," said Federico Mazzurana, Partner at Bezzi & Mazzurana. "When a company changes direction, looking for someone with the same background as the person who led it until then isn't necessarily the right call. You have to understand where the business wants to go and find the person who has what it takes to get it there. Sometimes that means looking beyond your own industry, beyond borders and beyond the obvious candidates."
Leadership as a strategic choice
For business owners, shareholders and boards, choosing the management team is one of the decisions with the greatest bearing on whether a business plan gets delivered.
Professionalizing a family-owned business calls for different skills than integrating an acquisition. A company preparing to expand abroad faces different challenges from one focused on consolidating its home market.
Starting from the company's goals means assessing candidates against the challenges they will actually face, rather than limiting the search to people who have held the same job or come from the same industry.
When ownership crosses borders
The picture gets more complex when owners, management and the wider organization come from different geographic and cultural backgrounds.
Whether it is a U.S. group acquiring an Italian company, a multinational expanding its presence in the country or a listed company reshaping its top team, finding the right executive requires a close reading of the context the new leader will be working in.
"An international deal doesn't end when the acquisition closes. That's when leadership becomes decisive," said Paola Bezzi, Managing Partner at Bezzi & Mazzurana. "The executive has to understand both what shareholders expect and how the business actually works, bridging organizations that may have different cultures and priorities. That ability is what can turn an investment into a growth story."
About Bezzi & Mazzurana
Bezzi & Mazzurana - Head Hunting is an Italian boutique specializing in executive search. Active since November 2016, with offices in Milan and Trento, the firm works with companies, industrial groups and other organizations to recruit CEOs, general managers and senior executives with strategic responsibilities. It also operates internationally through a network of professionals in seven cities worldwide.
Website: www.bezzimazzurana.com
Media contact: [email protected]
SOURCE: Bezzi & Mazzurana - Head Hunting