Giuseppe Funaro
Chief Executive · Managing Director

Building and scalinginternational businesses

Barcelona & London · Available to travel

Thirty-plus years of full P&L leadership across the UK, Europe and the US. Trade intelligence, commercial growth, and purpose-led international organisations.

Giuseppe Funaro
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Profile

A commercial operator with a builder's instinct

I am a chief executive and Managing Director with more than three decades of international commercial leadership across service-led businesses in the UK, Europe and the US.

My career has run from telecommunications and trade intelligence to diversified cross-border ventures, with a consistent thread: full P&L ownership, sustainable growth, and senior multidisciplinary teams operating across many countries at once.

Today I lead the commercialisation of a global trade-intelligence platform, engaging at board and policy level with governments, regulators and multilateral organisations. During COVID-19 I built a certified PPE supply operation from the ground up, a reminder that commercial leadership and protecting people are not separate things.

I work in English, Italian and Spanish, and I am most useful where commercial rigour meets a mission that matters.

"I move into market-entry, growth and leadership mandates where commercial acumen and cross-cultural delivery decide the outcome."
— Giuseppe Funaro
Career with
Cable & Wireless
AT&T
Dynegy / IAXIS
Tele2
Euphony
1402 Celsius
Capitalimprese
Global Trade Intelligence
Impact

The numbers behind the career

€200M+
P&L managed
18
Countries led at once
Revenue growth (€70M→€220M)
35+
Years international leadership
Career

Experience

Nov 2025 – Present
Chief Executive Officer
Global Trade Intelligence Platform
  • Leading commercialisation of a global trade-intelligence platform spanning 200+ countries, serving banks, governments and international SMEs.
  • Building institutional partnerships with trade bodies, regulators and multilateral organisations across Europe, North America and emerging markets.
  • Operating within a governance structure chaired by a serving senator; engaging at board and policy level.
Jun 2022 – Present
Member & Strategic Adviser
Capitalimprese · Italian Association of Industrial Enterprises
  • Advising on international business strategy for an association reaching 70,000+ member enterprises.
  • Facilitated a €20M+ cross-border supply chain initiative with Austrian manufacturer SwissPor.
2008 – Present
Managing Director & Portfolio Leader
1402 Celsius Ltd · London · Barcelona · Sofia
  • Own and lead a diversified cross-border portfolio across trading, procurement, media and real estate.
  • Launched the "Blue Glove" PPE brand with INTCO Medical, managing the full supply chain under COVID-19 conditions.
  • Turned around Sitges Media Factory (+30% revenue in one year); generated €10M+ trade with Ukraine through the 2022 disruption.
2007 – 2008
Chief Commercial Officer
Euphony Ltd · Pan-European Telecommunications
  • Full P&L accountability across 18 European countries; consolidated P&L exceeding €200M.
  • Directed Country Managers across sales, marketing and channel in a multinational matrix.
2002 – 2007
Chief Operating Officer, Prepaid
Tele2 UK (CCC Alpha Telecommunications) · Europe & US
  • Transformed the prepaid division, scaling revenue from €70M to €220M, 3x in five years.
  • Directed 15 Country Managers across Europe and the US.
1998 – 2002
European Sales Director & MD Italy
Dynegy Europe / IAXIS Ltd · London · Milan
  • Negotiated $15M+ fibre-optic investment and $30M+ in long-term bandwidth agreements across Southern Europe.
  • Led Italian market entry for gas and electricity trading.
Strengths

Areas of expertise

P&L Leadership

Full ownership of P&Ls above €200M, with budgeting, forecasting and performance accountability.

International Growth

Market entry and scaling across 18+ countries in Europe, the US and emerging markets.

Trade Intelligence

Global trade data, customs intelligence, supply-chain transparency and compliance.

Public Affairs

Representation to governments, regulators, trade bodies and the media.

Membership & Associations

Advising bodies serving tens of thousands of member enterprises.

Turnaround & M&A

Acquisition, integration and rapid performance recovery of business units.

Languages
ItalianMother tongue
EnglishFluent
SpanishFluent
Insights

Perspectives on international business

How I Engage

A small number of mandates, done properly

I take on a select number of engagements each year — situations where commercial rigour, cross-cultural leadership and senior relationships decide the outcome. If you are building something that matters, let's talk.

CEO & MD Mandates

Full executive leadership of international businesses — P&L ownership, team building, market entry and scaling.

🎯

Board & Advisory

Strategic counsel to boards and founders navigating international expansion, regulatory environments or commercial pivots.

🤝

Joint Ventures & Special Projects

Structuring and leading cross-border partnerships, supply chain initiatives and market-entry ventures with the right partners.

🌍

Trade & Government Relations

Representing organisations at policy level — trade bodies, multilateral institutions, regulators and government stakeholders.

Let's talk

Open to chief executive, managing director and senior advisory mandates in international, purpose-led organisations. Available Barcelona / London-based or remote, with travel.

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