2019

From today Andrea Santagata will take on the role of Chief Innovation Officer of the Mondadori Group.

The creation of this new position, reporting directly to the chief executive Ernesto Mauri, is a response to the Group’s determination to continue to invest in the development and formulation of digital and transformation strategies across all of Mondadori’s activities.

Among his responsibilities, Andrea Santagata will also oversee the study and implementation of new business models, in coordination with the heads of the different Areas, with the aim of further enhancing the Group’s assets and brands.

His objectives will also include the promotion of a culture of innovation across the entire company and the introduction of new methods able to facilitate the exchange of know-how.

Born in Pisa, Santagata, 46, graduated cum laude in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pisa. He began his career in the world of the internet and digital at Libero.it. The experience he gained between 2001 and 2007 at Matrix S.p.A., where, from 2004 to 2007, he was the marketing director of Virgilio, led him to set up Splinder, Italy’s first blogging platform, and the start-ups Liquida and Sitonline.

His career continued at Banzai where he moved in 2007 as head of marketing, before becoming, in 2009, chief executive of Banzai Media, bought by the Mondadori Group in 2016.

Santagata will maintain his position as deputy general manager of the Mondadori Group’s Magazines Italy Area, which is led by the general manager Carlo Mandelli.

Andrea Santagata is also a member of the boards of Mediamond and Adkaora.

Since Friday 8 February will be available Chi Weddings Special, a collection number made by Chi, Italy’s most widely read people magazine edited by Alfonso Signorini. This much-anticipated special issue, now in its fourth edition, offers readers a look at the weddings of Italian and international celebrities weddings, as they romantically said “I do” during the last year.

In fact, 2018 was particularly rich in weddings of famous personalities; from the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan to the much-loved Chiara Ferragni and Fedez who celebrated their big day against the spectacular backdrop of the Sicilian town of Noto.

But also Eugenie of York and the wedding of the popular chef Carlo Cracco Rosa, and not forgetting Daniele Bossari, winner of the latest edition of GFVIP, with Filippa Lagerback, the actor Claudio Santamaria with Francesca Barra, Emanuela Folliero, Hugh Grant and many other celebrities including Vincent Cassel who pronounced “I do” with model Tina Kunakey.

Chi Weddings Special presents these and other weddings with splendid photographic coverage: a unique look, full of curiosities and details, that captures the most important moment in the life of couples loved and followed by the public.

The Weddings Special of Chi, which remains much-loved by the public, confirms itself as an indispensable tool for the organisation of weddings, with a wealth of advice on locations, gifts as well as clothes, menus and honeymoon destinations. By flicking through this special issue readers can dream and find inspiration for their own weddings with the atmosphere and details of those celebrated by VIPs.

Chi Weddings Special will be on newsstands from Friday 8 February in a bound edition of 132 pages at the price of €3.50. It will also be available in a digital version with the Chi app, available for iOs and Android.

Fiammetta Giorgi has been appointed the new Head of Rights for Mondadori.

After completing a degree in Classics, she has always worked in publishing and joined Mondadori in 2002. She held the position of Editor-in-Chief for Children’s Books from 2005 to 2014. After having worked as a translator and editor of Young Adult Fiction Books for Giunti and Rizzoli, she is back in Mondadori to lead the foreign rights team. She reports to the General Manager, Giorgio Cavagnino.

Claudia Scheu, who’s held the Foreign Rights office for over 30 years, will be acting as a consultant for the publisher.

Starting from the 21 February issue, Raffaele Leone will be the new editor of Focus, the Mondadori Group brand that is a point of reference in popular science and entertainment.

Leone will further enhance a successful formula that has made Focus Italy’s most widely-read magazine, thanks to an even broader range of content and a new look at current affairs, with a continuing scientific approach and a rigorous analysis of the facts.

Born in Catania, Leone, who is 58, began his career on the newspaper La Sicilia, before joining the editorial team of the Indipendente. In 1994 he moved to Il Giornale where he covered a number of roles, including news editor, bureau chief at the Rome office and then central managing editor. In 2006 he was appointed deputy editor of the magazine Grazia, before moving one year later to Panorama, firstly as deputy editor in 2007, executive deputy editor in 2009 and editor-in-chief in 2018.

At the same time Jacopo Loredan – that the Mondadori Group wishes to thank for the professionalism, passion and energy  with which he has led the magazine – will take on the role of event and brand development manager.

Following the success of the first edition of Focus Live, which took place last November in collaboration with the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, this year Focus will take its exclusive formula to other cities in Italy, with the aim of further developing the brand’s presence around the country.

INTERNI, the Mondadori Group interiors and contemporary design magazine, will be present, for the fifth year running, at HOMI (25-28 January 2019), the lifestyle exhibition at the Fiera Milano dedicated to the world of living and personal accessories, with a special space conceived for relaxation, conversation and encounters.

The new INTERNI Café, open to all in Pavilion 7, will be immediately identifiable by the distinctive graphic symbol designed by the well-known advertising creative Lorenzo Marini, who has designed the covers of  the January issue of INTERNI  and the DESIGN INDEX 2019 guide (which will distributed during the entire event).

The space has been furnished by VESPER stools (design Christoph Jenni), TA tables (designer Jeremiah Ferrarese) and STATO (design Christoph Jenni) by COLOS, and VICTORIA GHOST chairs (design Philippe Starck) by KARTELL. For all visitors, the INTERNI Café will propose a bio offer, including fruit salads, and mixed salads, all prepared to order and in line with the philosophy of the space.

Participation at HOMI is just the first of many Italian exhibition events and fairs where INTERNI will be present, confirming its coverage of the sector, not merely as a point of reference for the design community, but also as an important promoter of events both in Italy and abroad. Following events held in Mexico City, Shanghai and Miami, has just ended in London the series of meetings entitled “Project and Destiny: refelections on design and architecture in Italy today”. Organised by INTERNI, together with the Italian Cultural Institute in London and ITA London, these conversations, which have proved immensely popular with the public, have involved some of Italy’s most representative figures from the world of design including, Martino Gamper, Piero Lissoni, Alfonso Femia, Giovanna Castiglioni, who have attempted to shine a light on the role that Italian creativity can play at the international level.

For more information, please go to: www.internimagazine.com

Further success for the Mondadori Group in the digital area as it is confirmed as Italy’s leading publisher in the list drawn up by Comscore. According to the figures for November 2018, the audience of the Mondadori brands reached 30 million unique users per month, an 11% increase on the previous year.

In a market in which the digital population is constantly expanding, Mondadori’s reach is conformed as the most extensive among Italian publishers (75%): with three out of four people visiting the Group’s sites and using a unique offer of quality content.

A breakthrough to which a special contribution has been made by the success of some of Mondadori’s strongest brands, which provide a prompt response to the needs of the population by covering a range of interests in the areas of food, beauty and wellnes.

These include, Giallozafferano, the point of reference for Italian food lovers, with a peak audience of almost 16 million unique users per month; Donna Moderna, which, with over 13 million unique users per month, confirmed its position as the publishing network of reference for women in Italy; Starbene, which, along with Mypersonaltrainer, is the leader in the world of health and wellness, reaching 10 million unique users per month.

Mondadori starts the new year also as the leading publisher on social networks, thanks to a fan base across the Group’s 100 social media properties that have an overall total of 26 million fans on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Grazia, the Mondadori Group magazine edited by Silvia Grilli, is kicking off the new year with an exclusive event The night is Young and a special issue dedicated to the most influential protagonists of the under-26 generation.

The evening organised by the weekly, which is renowned as the interpreter of Italian style and fashion and the most qualified point of reference for Made in Italy,  will take place on 17 January in Milan with the singer and rapper Baby K as the protagonist of a meet & greet with readers, users, followers and fans.

Following this, Baby K will perform an exclusive showcase featuring some of the hits that have generated 16 platinum discs. The new album ‘Icon’, released in November, includes the hits ‘Voglio ballare con te’ feat. Andrè Dvicio, ‘Da zero a cento’ and the latest single ‘Come no’.

To coincide with the event, a special edition of Grazia will be on newsstands dedicated to the talent of new generations, those born between the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 2000s: in other words, those who are always connected and without borders.

The cover girl will be Lele Pons, the much-clicked Venezuelan YouTuber (her “Celoso” has had more than 190 million views on YouTube) and star of Instagram with 31 million i followers, as well as being the special guest of the The Night is Young, who will talk to Silvia Grilli about the secrets of her success.

In the issue, on newsstands from 17 January, Grazia readers will find 12 young talents presented by people who know them well and are inspired by them, including, for example, Bebe Vio as seen by the Paralympic athlete Giusi Versace or actress and singer Matilda De Angelis as seen by Giuliano Sangiorgi from Negramaro. But also Spanish photographer Coco Capitan – who has produced advertising campaigns for Gucci interviewed by writer and YouTuber Francesco Sole and the 23-year-old actress Benedetta Porcaroli as seen by her colleague Alice Pagani (both of whom star in the TV series Baby that deals with high school students).

Plus, two exclusive fashion features dedicated to the young generations, with advice about style and elegance and previewing upcoming trends.

With this initiative, Grazia confirms its role as a dynamic contemporary communication platform, present in the publishing scene not only with the magazine (with a readership di 738,000, Source: Audipress 2018/II), on the web (with a monthly average of 3.000,000 unique users, Source Audiweb October 2018) and on social networks (with 10 million people reached, Source Facebook and Instagram Insight, December 2018) but also as a brand that creates content and special events.

The sponsor that have contributed to the realisation of The Night is Young are: Fracomina and milk­_shake.

Riccardo Ruini is to be the new creative director of Icon, the Mondadori Group’s fashion and lifestyle magazine.

Riccardo Ruini began his professional career in advertising, working for leading international agencies. Art Director for the Fendi Group in the mid 1990s, he then went on to oversee iconic campaigns for some of the most prestigious luxury brands, including Bulgari, Gucci and Valentino and curated the art direction of more than ten international magazines, including Vogue Japan and GQ Style UK. During his career Ruini has also collaborated with numerous talents from the worlds of photography, art, cinema and music.

This appointment completes the new team of the magazine led by the editor Andrea Tenerani which has also seen the arrival of Federico Sarica in the role of editor-at-large.

The new formula of Icon, which will make its debut with the March issue, will give pride of place to a more focused presentation of style and Italian savoir-faire, with men and their passions at the centre. More fashion, but also more stories, more background and a more selective approach, in order to give readers a tool to help them find their way in the world of contemporary style.

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. today announced, as per Art. 2.6.2 of the regulations governing markets organised and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A., the corporate events scheduled for 2019:

• Thursday 14 March 2019: meeting of the Board of Directors for the approval of the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2018;
• Wednesday 15 May 2019: meeting of the Board of Directors for the approval of the Interim Management Statement at 31 March 2019;
• Tuesday 30 July 2019: meeting of the Board of Directors for the approval of the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2019;
• Wednesday 13 November 2019: meeting of the Board of Directors for the approval of the Interim Management Statement at 30 September 2019.

The Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders for the approval of the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2018 will be held on first calling on Wednesday 17 April 2019.

Presentations to the financial community of the results for the full year at 31 December 2018, the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2019 and the Interim Management Statements at 31 March and at 30 September 2019 will be held on the dates, as indicated above, of the respective meetings of the Board of Directors.

Any changes will be promptly communicated to the market.

Mention should be made that Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., as a company listed on the STAR segment of Borsa Italiana, will publish the Interim Management Statements at 31 March 2019 and at 30 September 2019 – pursuant to art. 2.2.3, par. 3, of the Borsa Italiana Regulations – within 45 days after the end of the first, third and fourth quarters of the year (with exemption from the publication of the interim report on the fourth quarter if the annual financial report, together with the other documents referred to in art. 154 – ter, par. 1, of the Finance Consolidation Act, is made available within 90 days after year end). The Interim Management Statements will be made available, in accordance with current regulations, at the Company’s registered office, on the Company’s website www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section), and through the authorized storage mechanism (www.1info.it), together with the relating press releases.