Alessandro Antibo – The Trustworthy Man
With a multitude of professional interests, Alessandro started his career in the investments sector and kept growing and expanding his expertise, animated by the desire to provide his clients with the most comprehensive personal solutions possible. His clients are at the centre of his professional career and choices, his family is his personal focus. Alessandro seems to always have something new in mind. His true satisfaction comes helping his clients become comfortable, open up and trust him with the planning of their wealth. Seeking ever-new stimulating challenges and focusing on staying healthy, Alessandro always offers something fresh to talk about.
Of Italian origin, Alessandro Antibo was born and raised in Bath, England together with his sister. He went to college in Bristol and got his Bachelor’s degree in International Management with French at the Manchester School of Management. Thanks to his parents, whose roots are in Abruzzo and Piemonte, Alessandro spent many summer holidays in Italy whilst growing up, thus falling under the spell of the beautiful weather and people…so much so, that by his mid-twenties he was living in Italy. Before deciding to establish his base in Rome, Alessandro followed his passion for foreign languages and cultures: he went to SKEMA Business School near Antibes, France, for a whole year of Erasmus and after graduation he started packing his bags for Argentina. His plans changed as his family advised him against moving to a country convulsed with political unrest, so he opted for Spain, spending two years in Seville, a city he is much fond of.
While he was deciding his next move, his brother-in-law invited him to move to Milan and work for Message, the company he had just cofounded. There he started working in the financial sector, helping Message developing effective online corporate communication strategies for Italian listed companies to better engage with their stakeholders. Soon after, he matured a passion for the private investors industry and spent the next 4 years in BluInvest, acting as Marketing and Relations Manager, advising private clients on when to buy or sell stock on the Italian Stock Exchange. His work involved spending much time on the phone, liaising with his clients.
Ready to broaden his horizons and consolidate his new expertise, he took a 6 month course in Business Relationship Management at Sacro Cuore University in Milan, followed by an internship at Credito Emiliano, the Italian retail bank. Retained at the end of the internship, he spent his next seven years in Rome, as an Affluent Client Manager, managing important investment portfolios for private clients. He was shifted between three branches in the capital, thanks to his technical skills and the ability to connect with clients. “It takes time to establish trust with a client, only then he or she starts sharing that part of the personal life that allows me to really be of help and respond to their needs or expectations with the best mix of solutions” remarks Alessandro, while remembering the personal discomfort he went through every time he was made to change branch and start the delicate process of creating that trust with new clients all over again. “I was being moved over and over again and I was constantly put in the situation of having to propose and sell products I didn’t particularly like, but just had to” Alessandro recalls.
With the bank giving him insufficient time to create a bond with his customers and the lack of quality instruments and tailor-made solutions to respond to their specific needs, Alessandro felt compelled to move on. Courted by an ex colleague who shared his vision on independent, transparent wealth planning, Alessandro moved to SCM (Solutions Capital Management) a 100% Italian firm listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. Six years into the job, he enjoys the independence he has and the perfect match with his vision: “SCM is a fully client-centric company. I have never had two clients to which I could propose the same exact solution”. His customers are unique and the solutions Alessandro defines for them respect that belief entirely.
As there is always something more he can do to assist his clients, he recently became a promoter for MBA, Italy’s largest Mutual Aid Company. In this role, he is spreading knowledge of health packages that welcome members regardless of age or medical history, in alternative to the generally more expensive health insurances.
In his remaining free time, he is gradually expanding his own company, aptly named Brooklyn 2016 (Alessandro proposed to his wife in Brooklyn, New York in 2016!). It’s a Real Estate company that rents out apartments and offers fresh, modern rooms for people that move to Rome for work or study.
Feeling neither fully Italian nor English, Alessandro added further multicultural spirit to his life by marrying the Madrilenian Cristina. Struck by her beauty and sense of humour, they have been together since 2011. The long distance that kept them apart while Cristina followed her PhD at Columbia University in New York only made them stronger. Upon her return, Alessandro and Cristina had their dream wedding: fun, multicultural and set on the Appia Antica, their favourite place in Rome.
His gaze becomes dreamy as he begins imagining their future as a “family team”, striving to ensure that their children will be raised in a healthy environment, probably spending some time in their mother’s native Spain and growing until ready to “spread their wings and fly”.
As we were preparing to close our short interview, I was left with one question: how is it to be a Friend of PWA? Alessandro recalls having found out about PWA through a former member, back in 2015. While he was attending a conference thinking it would be his last, Olga, one of PWA members, convinced him to subscribe as a Friend of PWA. Four years later, he enjoys the networking opportunities the association offers, appreciating how much he learns, especially about female psychology. This helps him improve his approach towards his female clients and attract more of them!
By Mirela Cojocaru, Newsletter Editor