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The Bayes Business School (2019)

22nd May 2019

How did I choose to join the family business?

Simple, my uncle, the president of the company Ing Albano Bragagni, offered me to join the company.

I remember as today, I was just graduated from the university in Pisa in Law, and I came back home my at that Time my fiance `Alessandra, today my wife,  to officially present her to my family when I received a call. My uncle offered me to join him for a business dinner with our partner in Brazil.

You can imagine I was at my home with my girlfriend and I have to leave her alone for dinner with my parents without me because I had to join my uncle for a business dinner. He wanted to talk to me. You have to understand that in our family one is in charge of Time. The big boss at that Time was my uncle, Albano. So I went. It was a nice dinner, but we did not discuss anything else than Brazil business. After lunch, he proposed to me to meet with him in the morning in his office to discuss. 

Did you image the situation? I left my girlfriend with my parents for urgent communication, and I came back with nothing else that a meeting for the next morning.

The situation, as you can image, was quite harsh.

The day after my uncle made me a simple question: What do you want to do now? Do you want to be a politician? A lawyer? A priest?

My replay was simple. : I need a job to build my family, I have Alessandra with me, and we want to get married.

A: Ok, you go to Uk to learn English and the job. We have this company in Uk, and we need a director. As your father manages our facility in Sicily, you can manage the Uk operation. Two Bragagni cannot stay in the same place.

He offered me challenges, opportunity a job that I could build a family.

Challenges: I selected Law School because it was the only one without any English exams. So I could, for the first Time to approach my lack of formation. You cannot be proper management of a multinational company without knowing the English and the Anglo-Saxon business model.

Opportunity: to learn and to work.

A salary that could pay for a family.

I said, Yes. I thought my life, as a great manager, a hefty salary that could help me to build my family and a significant challenge to address my limits and overcome my confidence zone.

What challenges did I face in the first 12 months upon joining the family business?

In reality, at the end to a warehouse as a worker and in a room that was smaller than a box, and with minimum wage. I was going to school in the morning, having lunch in the car during my transfer from school to the warehouse, working until 5.00 pm. Back home for dinner at 6.00 pm, studying in the evening until 9.00, then bed, then school at 8.00 a.m, and so on for one year.

During the weekend I could only afford a beer and watching cricket in the local field. It was a big challenge for my motivation and my behaviour. It was a great time. On the beginning, it was hard, with considerable doubts.

I was a doctor in Law with distinction, and I was working on rewinding cable in a warehouse.

What was my approach to overcome them?

Today I thank my uncle, Albano for that test. At that Time, I have to force me a lot to accept it. What helped me was the bright idea of what I wanted to achieve and the confidence of my family. I had full trust in their proposal. I knew it it was for my life and my future. One crucial think it was to concentrate all my effort to do well what I was doing, rewinding and studying.  The above experience was a vital lesson forever. Live the present, always live the present and do the best you can in a single moment.

Remember we live only the present. NOW. Past it is past, and the future does not exist yet.  Why was a great experience? Simple. Since there, I was able to concentrate all my self in what I am doing now and give the right value at what I am doing.  I have also learnt the importance of Time. Nothing is more critical that Time. None can give back the time you lose or waste. So do what you care because doing what you do not care, you lose time. I care in anything can help me to learn and understand.  I consider education the main priority in my life, my education and the education of the people are with me. Only through proper training, you can achieve results, and accept challenges without to be afraid of life.

I fought for my value, and I have achieved the CEO position and several awards and personal goals that is another way I could not make.

I married to Alessandra since 2003, and together they have four daughters.

I had received:

The President Italian Republic – Knight of the Repubblic (2019)

the Queen- Queen’s Awards for Innovation (2019)

IOD- DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR – INNOVATION  (2019)

Lloyd’s Register – Best Italian Client Award (2017)

Knowsley Business Awards – Manufacturer of the Year (2017)

Chineses Business Community’s Big Ben Awards – International Business Leadership Prize (2017)

CERVED – Company to Watch Award (2017, 2016)

Knights Hospitaller (Order of Saint John of Jerusalem) Award (2017)

Italian Chamber of Commerce for the UK – Keynes Sraffa Award (2016)

Knowsley Business Awards – Commercial Developer of the Year (2015)