With a degree in Political Economy from Bocconi University, and an SDA Master's degree in Economics and Business Management, Stefano began his professional career in 1982 at IBM Italia. He later joined the Montedison Group in the Strategic Planning department, where he was involved in planning and control, competitive analysis, and participated in extraordinary finance operations including the ENIMONT merger. After gaining several years of experience in large companies, he then oversaw the internationalization process of an SME, SECTOR GROUP SpA, during its expansion into international markets. He held the position of President at SECTOR USA Inc. (NY, USA), SECTOR Hong Kong Ltd, and CFO at SECTOR SPORT WATCHES SA (Neuchatel, CH). Subsequently, he facilitated the sale of the SECTOR Group to an Institutional Investor and later assisted several SMEs in acquisition and merger operations in the Information Technology, Medical Devices, and precision mechanics sectors. In most of the assisted companies, he joined the Board of Directors to contribute in the areas of extraordinary finance and internationalization. In 2005, he started his own entrepreneurial venture in the chemical trading sector, alongside his consulting business. Despite a general decline in industrial consumption, he managed to double the company's turnover by diversifying the product portfolio and finding new markets.