Gianluca Passi has built a career able to move with an uncommon fluidity between different sectors: from professional rugby in Italy to the highest levels of fashion, to global finance and investments. Today he lives in New York and his work is at the crossroads between capital, culture and relationships, with increasing attention to the possibility of connecting Italian talent beyond national borders.
Gianluca, your route crosses very different sectors and geographies. Why do you think that many Italians succeed in asserting themselves abroad, often without being really connected to their country of origin?
It is less a question of visibility and more a question of fragmentation. There are Italians working at the highest levels in the world — in companies like Apple, in finance, in technology — but they are not part of a shared system. Their stories don’t meet.
This is the real void. There’s no lack of success, no connection. There is an extraordinary basin of talent, but it is dispersed. Putting it together would create something much stronger.
You’ve lived in New York for years. How does the city shape people, professionally and personally?
New York moves at a very high frequency. If you can align, accelerate everything: your growth, your exposure, your opportunities. If you can’t, it can get overwhelming.
It’s not just about work. When you build a life here — especially with a family — complexity increases. Costs, time, pressure. You have to find your balance. Some succeed, others understand that it is not sustainable for them.
You have three kids growing up here. How do you maintain a sense of identity in such an international environment?
It is a deliberate choice. We speak Italian at home. This is not discussed.
At the same time, they are exposed daily to other cultures: English, Chinese at school, French through our nanny. The goal is not to limit all this, but to anchor it. Identity and openness can live and, when it happens, become an advantage.
Your career started with Armani. What gave you that experience?
Perspective. I entered without training in fashion, came from sports, and suddenly I found myself in an incredibly sophisticated system.
Armani wasn’t just a brand: it was an ecosystem. Fashion, design, hospitality, licenses. And everything was consistent. That level of control and vision is rare.
At one point, I also worked on talent-related strategy, proposing collaborations with athletes and artists. It was a unique environment to really understand how influence and position work.
Then you went to Moncler, at a very different stage of its evolution.
Yes, and that’s exactly what made it interesting. It was smaller, but extremely dynamic.
I entered before the listing on the Stock Exchange and saw the company become a global player of luxury. What struck was the ability to take a very specific product and reposition it completely, without losing its identity.
We also faced visibility differently. Less formal appearances, more integration into real life. That change of approach made a big difference.
Your transition to finance wasn’t conventional.
It wasn’t planned. He was born from relationships. I put in contact founder, I gave informal advice, and from there the thing evolved into something more structured.
At some point I realized I had to integrate what I was doing with technical skills. This led to partnerships: first with Italian families, then with institutions like Azimut.
It has become a combination of access, network and capital.
One of your current projects is SailGP. What attracted you?
Puts together different elements: sport, business, global visibility.
Sport, in particular, has a unique ability to connect people. It’s universal. And in SailGP the human factor is central. Boats are identical, data is shared: the difference the team does.
This makes it interesting both from a competitive and commercial point of view.
You said brands and sports resist technological disruption. Why?
Because they are rooted in human behavior.
Brands represent identity, belonging, inheritance. This doesn’t disappear.
Sport is unpredictable. He’s driven by people, not by systems. You can’t replicate it with technology. In fact, I think we will see renewed attention to human relations.
You are working on an initiative to connect Italians to the United States. What is the idea at the base?
The idea is simple: to create a system where there is no today.
There are thousands of Italians in high-level roles, in different sectors, but they do not operate as a network. There is no structure that puts them together constantly.
The goal is to build it: not only for those who have already established themselves, but also to create a platform that can support those who arrive later.
What advice would you give to someone who starts today?
First: exit your comfort zone. That’s where you grow up.
Second: stay curious and build true relationships. It is still the most valuable asset.
Third, don’t rush. Things take time. “Festina lente”: hurry slowly.
What does New York represent for you today?
A test bench.
It forces you to adapt, build resilience. You’re always in front of rejection, but it’s part of the process.
In the end everything comes back to people: understand them, build confidence, create connections. That’s what makes things move.
L’articolo “Festina lente”: building global networks according to Gianluca Passi proviene da IlNewyorkese.
