Francesco Profumo | |
---|---|
Italian Minister of Education | |
In office 16 November 2011 –28 April 2013 | |
Prime Minister | Mario Monti |
Preceded by | Mariastella Gelmini |
Succeeded by | Maria Chiara Carrozza |
Personal details | |
Born | Savona | 3 May 1953
Political party | Independent |
Francesco Profumo (born 3 May 1953) is an Italian engineer and academic who was Italy's Minister of Education from 16 November 2011 to 28 April 2013. He has been president of the National Research Council (CNR) since August 2011 and had previously served as Chancellor of the Politecnico di Torino from 2005 to 2011.
From 2016 to 2024,he served as Chairman of Compagnia di San Paolo.
Formerly Chairman of Iren SpA (2013-2016),he has been Chairman of the Fondazione Bruno Kessler since 2014.
Since July 2014,he has been Chairman of the ESCP Business School at its Turin campus,and he is currently Rector of OPIT - Open Institute of Technology.
He has been a member of the European Innovation Council Board of the European Commission since 2022.
Since May 2024,he has served as Chairman of Isybank,the digital bank of Intesa Sanpaolo Group.
Profumo studied electronic engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin and graduated in 1977. [1]
Profumo started his professional career in research and development at Ansaldo in Genova in 1978 and served there until 1984. [2] In 1985,he moved to Torino as a researcher and associate professor at the local Politecnico. In 2003,he was named dean of the 1st engineering faculty of the Politecnico,and in 2005,he became rector of the university. [2] As of September 2020,he is a member of the Italian Aspen Institute. [3]
Professor of Electrical Machines and Drives at the Politecnico di Torino,he is currently Professor Emeritus of the university. He has authored approximately 250 contributions,including articles and publications in international journals,and is a member of several scientific associations such as IEEE,JIEE,IEE,and EPE. He also serves as President of the Uni-Italia Association.
In the past,he has served on the boards of Reply,FIDIA S.p.A.,and Unicredit Private Bank. On April 12,2011,he was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Italia. He has also held advisory roles for Il Sole 24 Ore and Pirelli &C.,and is a member of the Steering Committee of Italianieuropei.
From August 13,2011,to January 2012,he served as President of the Italian National Research Council (CNR).
On 16 November 2011,Prime Minister Mario Monti appointed him Minister of Education. [4]
On November 16,2011,he was appointed Minister of Education,Universities,and Research in the Monti government,[8] a role he held until the government's conclusion in 2013.
On January 30,2012,Profumo resigned from his position as President of the CNR (National Research Council),a role he had been appointed to just a few months earlier by former Minister of Education Mariastella Gelmini. The resignation came after controversy arose regarding the simultaneous holding of both positions,as the CNR presidency is a government-appointed role. Prior to officially assuming the ministerial post,Profumo had already temporarily stepped aside from his duties at the CNR,delegating responsibilities to the vice president.
Francesco Profumo was appointed president of the energy company Iren where he served as Chairman from 2013 to 2016. On Dec. 13,2014,he was appointed chairman of the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Trento,Italy,and on Sept. 5,2014,he was appointed chairman of the School of Advanced Management Training (SAFM) in Turin,Italy. [5]
On May 18,2015,he was appointed chairman of the board of INWIT,Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane S.p.A.,a company of the Telecom Italia group. [6]
In 2019,he was unanimously elected President of ACRI,a position he held until February 21,2024.
Since 2016,he has headed Compagnia di San Paolo,where he was reconfirmed for a second term in 2020,serving until April 16,2024,when Marco Gilli succeeded him.
Since 2018,he has been a member of the Giovanni Agnelli Foundation.
Since 2020,he has served as Chairman of the Uni-Italia Association. In 2024,he became Chairman of isybank,the Quadrivio Fund,and the Reggio Children Foundation –Centro Loris Malaguzzi ETS.
Since 2025,he has been Chairman of SocietàGasdotti Italia,and he has also continued to serve as Rector of OPIT –Open Institute of Technology since 2022,and as Chairman of the Turin campus of the ESCP Business School since 2014.
He is also a member of the European Innovation Council of the European Commission.