Open Innovation and Open Data: the Open Hazelnut Initiative

Since January 2016 Giovanni has been Vice President of Ferrero’s Open Innovation Science, a global organization with the mission of driving the discovery, evaluation and integration of external science, technology and entrepreneurial innovations relevant to Ferrero. Prior to joining Ferrero Giovanni was Global Vice President of Flavor Innovation Discovery at Firmenich, where he led the strategic discovery and commercialization of scientific innovations in the areas of taste modulation, health & nutrition, natural & sustainable, and breakthrough cost innovation. Prior to joining Firmenich, Giovanni was the co-founder and CEO of Zonebee, a spin-off from the University of Arizona, where he led a multi-disciplinary R&D team to create visionary technology to support informal learning and knowledge management. Giovanni has more than 25 years of experience in managing and taking to market innovative technology in several industries, both in Global 500 companies and early stage startups.