Tiziana, what was your background before joining Xella?

I began my career in our family business. I was not even 30 when we decided to sell the company. It was hard, but the company and what I learned there will always stay in my heart. I then went to the Canary Islands for a year, which was a tough and constructive experience.

But before I came to Xella, I worked for  a couple of other international companies. I came to Xella thanks to my former company regional manager. It was charming from the start. At that time, Xella Italy was very small and just ended the process of acquiring its first plant.

What has changed since then?

At that time, we still reported to Xella France, not directly to the Headquarters in Germany as we do today. In twelve years, we have grown from a small trading company to an important part of the Xella Group. We now have three plants and 140 employees, a cohesive team that complements each other perfectly. And that is how we have been able to create the great added value the company has today. I have learned a lot. I have gained confidence with all the projects we have done. And I know there's a team out there that can do it even better than I can now.

What has helped you the most on your journey and in building the company?

Trust is number one and communication is number two. Your team must feel your passion and see that you mean what you say. I consider myself a positive person.
Wrong decisions are always next door. And I first had to stop dwelling on wrong decisions. The important thing is to learn and move on.

How is safety part of your daily work?

"Luck is not a safety device". Safety is a culture - but fortunately or unfortunately, it's a personal culture. Talking to a wife or child who has lost a family member is another story. At our recent Safety Day, we invited these people from an association of former victims. And they told their story. That did have an impact on people's personal culture.

Where do you encounter safety issues in your professional life?

In our headquarters, in a building that Xella shares with other companies, I see people holding phones in their hands and taking all their steps looking at them. This is the simplest safety issue for me: put your phone down when you walk.

You are a female leader. What does this mean to you?

In my opinion, women are more sensitive, comprehensive and understanding. We come from a different, more emotional view, and our strength is to involve colleagues and put our heart into achieving our goals, even when it's difficult. Apart from this attitude, I don't see any other major differences.

You have a daughter. Could you set a good example for her to follow?

I lived most of my life alone with my daughter. My parents were there supporting, but when I grew her up, I didn't have even time to listen to what everybody had to say. I had to focus. Now, she is 29 and a marketing specialist, following international meetings and I sometimes think: she is just like me.
But nonetheless, there is a difference between myself and her: I think that new generations have a better understanding of where work ends and when you must start living. For me, it was work, work, work until you get a result and then some more.

What do you do to relax or to keep your mind off work?

I love to spend time with my family. I just turned 60 this summer and I didn't want to have a party, so my daughter took me to Lake Garda for two days. My partner joined us on the day of my birthday and the three of us went out for dinner. These things make me happy, reading in the sun and swimming in the sea. But if you ask me how often I do that, I need to work on that [laughs].

You can retire in the next four years. What's your personal plan?

Either I retire and re-start traveling, or I keep working. Sometimes I think I want to stay home and relax, go to the gym and do whatever I want, but sometimes I'm afraid that if I don't have to go to work, I might just stay in bed all day. What is sure is that I will have more time for myself. And enjoy life differently.