He succeeds in this position Piersilvio Fagiano, who leaves Piziali in the leadership of the Foundation to face future challenges.
It was 1993 when Stefano Piziali, from Bergamo, began his journey in international cooperation with CESVI, of which he is a founding member. After completing his studies on the Balkans’ historical, political and security issues, he joined CESVI dealing with emergency and security, working on humanitarian and rehabilitation programmes in various crises from the 1990s to the early 2000s, in the Balkans, Africa and Asia. In the nearly 20 years of service at the Foundation he strongly contributed to the growth of CESVI’s role within the Alliance2015 European network; he developed an innovative policy system and started national and international advocacy activities, creating the Advocacy Policy and Partnership area, of which he was also Security Advisor for a long time. In 2013 he began a new ten-year journey as head of the Advocacy and Programmes department in Italy and Europe of WeWorld, contributing in 2018 to the merger between WeWorld and GVC, an operation that gave birth to one of the main Italian NGOs.
Today, he returns to CESVI to face the future challenges of a Foundation that has profoundly changed and evolved over the last 10 years, with a wealth of experience that will help steer the organisation’s path, reinforcing its foundations for growth aimed at increasing and making development and emergency response interventions in the Global South and in Italy ever more efficient and effective, for the benefit of the most impoverished populations and countries.
‘More than a return, it feels like a new beginning’ – declares the new General Manager Stefano Piziali – ‘In these years CESVI has profoundly changed, grown. It has strengthened in terms of content and presence in different countries. It is now a reality that works not only around the world but also in Italy, is strongly connected with a number of international actors and is part of one of the most important non-governmental networks, Alliance2015. Now more than ever, it is an organisation that wants to continue to cooperate in emergency and development,’ Piziali concludes.
Leaving the torch is the now former General Manager Piersilvio Fagiano, CESVI’s point of reference for more than 30 years, who has been able to lead the Foundation with intelligence and vision, first as Head of the Programmes area and from 2019 as General Manager. A special thanks goes to him on behalf of the whole CESVI for the dedication, professionalism and passion he has put into the cause.
To Stefano Piziali the best wishes for this new and challenging adventure, which takes him back to his origins, but with a new and confident look towards the future of the Foundation.