Michele Ferrero – myths and realities
A recently published book retraces the story of one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 20th century
The life of an (exceptional) entrepreneur narrated by those who knew him, with very few figures, and, likewise, little economic and management analysis, yet plenty of real-life accounts. This is the style adopted by Salvatore Giannella to narrate the life of Michele Ferrero – to narrate the story of a man who built a confectionery industry empire almost from scratch, instigated a new consumption model and, through his products, became a familiar name to entire generations.
The title of the book, Michele Ferrero. Condividere valori per creare valore (Michele Ferrero. Sharing values to create value) already says it all: an entrepreneur depicted through his life and work tenets. The book further narrates the evolution of one of the greatest enterprises in the world – in its sector, at least (though not limited to it). The style of Giannella’s work is reminiscent of a journalistic essay that retraces the life of Ferrero through a number of significant accounts acquired by interviewing dozens of people who were close to “Mr Michele”. A laborious yet successful effort, which Giannella explains by quoting the great journalist (and writer) Dino Buzzati: “The first steadfast rule of a reporter’s job, in order to take great women and men off their pedestals and reveal their human nature – as they are human, after all – is to go where they used to live and accumulate as many accounts, quotes and notes as possible, become unpopular by pestering a lot of people, and work hard: basically, it simply consists in digging”. An effort undertaken in order to comprehend, and therefore narrate, the life and approaches of a legendary figure, as, after all, that is what Michele Ferrero was and still is.
The outcome of Giannella’s “digging” is an extremely readable book of little less than 300 pages that reveals the features of a great figure who possessed brilliant intuition, an international vision and the ability to listen to others. A true legendary man, indeed, also distinguished by his painstaking attention to the quality of products, the needs of consumers and the well-being of employees. An almost excessively reserved individual, Michele Ferrero and his particular corporate culture stand out due to a few peculiar characteristics: innovative production methods, care for human values and, therefore, awareness of the social responsibility entailed in industrial activities.
Giannella’s book is a must-read, and also reminds us that while legendary figures may be unique, they can nonetheless always teach a lot to everyone.
Michele Ferrero. Condividere valori per creare valore (Michele Ferrero. Sharing values to create value)
Salvatore Giannella
Salani Editore, 2023
A recently published book retraces the story of one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 20th century
The life of an (exceptional) entrepreneur narrated by those who knew him, with very few figures, and, likewise, little economic and management analysis, yet plenty of real-life accounts. This is the style adopted by Salvatore Giannella to narrate the life of Michele Ferrero – to narrate the story of a man who built a confectionery industry empire almost from scratch, instigated a new consumption model and, through his products, became a familiar name to entire generations.
The title of the book, Michele Ferrero. Condividere valori per creare valore (Michele Ferrero. Sharing values to create value) already says it all: an entrepreneur depicted through his life and work tenets. The book further narrates the evolution of one of the greatest enterprises in the world – in its sector, at least (though not limited to it). The style of Giannella’s work is reminiscent of a journalistic essay that retraces the life of Ferrero through a number of significant accounts acquired by interviewing dozens of people who were close to “Mr Michele”. A laborious yet successful effort, which Giannella explains by quoting the great journalist (and writer) Dino Buzzati: “The first steadfast rule of a reporter’s job, in order to take great women and men off their pedestals and reveal their human nature – as they are human, after all – is to go where they used to live and accumulate as many accounts, quotes and notes as possible, become unpopular by pestering a lot of people, and work hard: basically, it simply consists in digging”. An effort undertaken in order to comprehend, and therefore narrate, the life and approaches of a legendary figure, as, after all, that is what Michele Ferrero was and still is.
The outcome of Giannella’s “digging” is an extremely readable book of little less than 300 pages that reveals the features of a great figure who possessed brilliant intuition, an international vision and the ability to listen to others. A true legendary man, indeed, also distinguished by his painstaking attention to the quality of products, the needs of consumers and the well-being of employees. An almost excessively reserved individual, Michele Ferrero and his particular corporate culture stand out due to a few peculiar characteristics: innovative production methods, care for human values and, therefore, awareness of the social responsibility entailed in industrial activities.
Giannella’s book is a must-read, and also reminds us that while legendary figures may be unique, they can nonetheless always teach a lot to everyone.
Michele Ferrero. Condividere valori per creare valore (Michele Ferrero. Sharing values to create value)
Salvatore Giannella
Salani Editore, 2023