Sixteen professionals under 40 years old who demonstrated excellence in their fields “as well as a commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between the United Kingdom and Italy” have been selected for the 2025 edition of the UK-Italy Young Leaders Programme, a joint initiative delivered by the governments of the two states.
Over the year, they will take part in a series of initiatives designed to consolidate bilateral cooperation and friendship, including visits to the United Kingdom and Italy, where they will be given the opportunity to interact and promote dialogue with leading figures from the world of politics, institutions, business, technology, science, culture and communication.
At the end of the Programme, they will be invited to join the “Young Leaders Alumni” network, through which “they will ensure British-Italian cooperation continues for the next generation”.
This year’s participants – all able to speak fluent english – are Giulia Aloisio Rafaiani (Director of Communications and Strategy, Strategic Partners), Beatrice Bergami (Cybersecurity Architect, Goldman Sachs), Nathalie Biancheri Chiappor (Film Director), Marcello Brognoli (Officer, Italian Navy), Carlo Cattaneo (GCAP Programme Delivery Manager, Rolls Royce), Meganne Christian (Reserve Astronaut, UK Space Agency), Daniel Colaianni, (Founder and CEO, AIXR Unicorn), Riccardo D’Andrea, (Civil Servant, Presidency of the Italian Council of Ministers), Melania Edwards (Founder and Managing Partner, Limitless) Matteo Forte (Founder and CEO, SWITCH), Jonathan Heywood (Director of Media Relations, Prysmian), Federica Onori (Member of the Chamber of Deputies, Azione), Antony A. Pellegrino (Urological Surgeon, San Raffaele Hospital), Fabian Piga (Economic Affairs Advisor, UK Cabinet Office), Chelcie Poole (Director of Growth and Ecosystems, Limineer) and Simone Venturini (Deputy Mayor of Venice).
Now in its second year, the Programme is organised by the British Embassy in Rome and the Italian Embassy in London as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United Kingdom and Italy, signed in London in April 2023.
