Giovanna MELANDRI

About Giovanna MELANDRI

Giovanna Melandri is an independent director at Kering, the global luxury group, where she contributes deep expertise in ESG finance, sustainability, international relations and impact economy. Holding dual Italian and US citizenship, she is an economist and cultural manager whose career bridges public policy, institutional leadership and civil society. Her profile is particularly relevant in listed-company governance, where long-term value creation increasingly depends on sustainability, reputation, and strategic oversight. Melandri began her professional career as an economist at Montedison, where she worked in research-related responsibilities. She then moved to Legambiente, first as its international officer and later as chair of its scientific committee. In that role, she became active on environmental and climate issues at an early stage, taking part in the Bergen Conference on Sustainable Development in 1990 and closely following IPCC proceedings. She also chaired the Italian non-governmental delegation to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, highlighting her long-standing engagement with global sustainability policy. Her public career was substantial: she served as a member of the Italian Parliament from 1994 to 2012, with a strong focus on foreign affairs, culture and women’s empowerment. She held two major ministerial posts in the Italian government: Minister of Culture and Sports from 1998 to 2001, and Minister for Youth Policy and Sports from 2006 to 2008. These roles gave her broad experience in public administration, cultural strategy and stakeholder management. Following her ministerial career, she chaired Italy’s National Museum of 21st Century Arts, MAXXI, from 2012 to 2022, after having promoted the institution during her tenure as culture minister. She is also the founder and chair of Human Foundation, a research institution focused on impact economy, impact finance and social, cultural and environmental innovation. In parallel, she is the founder and global ambassador of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), and she represented Italy on the G8 Task Force on Impact Investment in 2013-2014. Melandri is also a published author and columnist on impact economy topics. Awarded the title of Officer of the French Legion of Honor in 2003, she is recognized for combining policy insight, cultural leadership and a strong commitment to responsible investment and sustainability.