Young Egg Leaders: Industry visits & leadership workshops in Italy

17 October 2024

For the latest instalment of their 2-year programme, the IEC Young Egg Leaders (YELs) embarked on industry visits in Northern Italy in September 2024, before joining delegates from around the world at the IEC Global Leadership Conference in Venice, where they enjoyed two inspiring breakfast workshops.

The trip began with a visit to Cereal Docks, an Italian agri-food company producing ingredients such as meal feeds, oils, and lecithins, obtained from oily seeds and cereals intended for a number of uses, including animal nutrition.

Business Director, Giacomo Fanin, hosted the group, discussing the work of the organisation, and the complexities of business succession. He explained how he sees his role in the family business: “As second generation, my aim is to build the right trajectory for the evolution of the company.”

Mr Fanin also provided a guided production visit of the site, showing the YELs the end-to-end process of generating their products, including feed for laying hens.

The day continued with a visit to Bauli, an iconic Italian bakery brand led by Michele Bauli, a third-generation leader. The YELs were welcomed by Mr Bauli, who provided an awe-inspiring overview of the company’s rich 100-year history.

The group were then given an exclusive tour of the factory, an amazing opportunity to witness the production of popular products like panettone and pandoro – highlighting the essential role of eggs in these creations.

The IEC would like to extend our sincere thanks to Massimo & Elisa Finco for their support with organising and delivering these industry visits.

During the IEC Venice Conference, the YELs were invited to two dedicated breakfast meetings. The first was with Juan Felipe Montoya Muñoz, President of Incubadora Santander, Colombia’s largest egg producer, and next Chair of IEC.

Juan Felipe shared formative experiences in his business journey so far, and discussed the logistics of transporting eggs across Colombia. As a successful entrepreneur and egg business leader, Juan Felipe inspired the YELs to explore their potential impact on the global egg industry.

The following day, the group enjoyed a workshop led by Dr. Cristobal Garcia-Herrera of Imperial College Business School. The session delved into entrepreneurial innovation and the new leadership styles necessary for business acceleration. The YELs discussed the future of corporate growth, learning how to integrate these ideas into their leadership journey.

This ongoing bespoke programme is designed to broaden the YELs’ understanding of the egg industry, provide unique opportunities and foster leadership growth.