Alessandro Benetton

Alessandro Benetton, founder and Managing Partner of 21 Invest (formerly 21 Investimenti), was born in 1964. He pursued an international education, graduating in Finance in 1987 from Boston University and subsequently obtaining an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was the first Italian to join Goldman Sachs International in London in 1988, where he worked as an analyst in the Global Finance department, specialising in M&A and equity offerings. From 1988 to 1998, he served as Chairman of Benetton Formula, the Formula One team, securing 27 Grand Prix victories, two Drivers’ World Championships and one Constructors’ World Championship. In 1992, Alessandro Benetton founded 21 Investimenti (now 21 Invest), establishing himself as one of the pioneers of private equity in Italy. Buoyed by the results achieved under the entrepreneur’s leadership, the company grew to expand into the French and Spanish markets.

Among the successful investments made by 21 Invest is Forno d’Asolo, whose turnover grew from €73 million in 2014 to €125 million in 2017; ProductLife Group, a French company that has seen its revenue rise from €25 million in 2019 to €167 million in 2023, accompanied by an increase in its workforce from 240 to 1,500 employees; and the Italian ophthalmic company SIFI, which, thanks to the support of 21 Invest, exceeded €100 million in turnover in 2025 and obtained confirmation from the EMA for the use of the orphan drug Akantior, the only treatment in the world for Acanthamoeba keratitis. Since 2025, 21 Invest has been part of 21 Next, a new platform dedicated to private markets, of which Alessandro Benetton is Chairman.

Since 2022, he has held the position of Chairman of Edizione S.p.A., one of Europe’s largest holding companies, active in the transport and digital infrastructure, food & beverage, travel retail and manufacturing sectors, with over 100,000 employees. Since 2026, he has held the position of Chairman of Mundys, a subsidiary of Edizione and a leader in infrastructure services and sustainable mobility, operating in 24 countries. He is Honorary Chairman of Avolta, the combined entity formed following the merger agreement between Autogrill and Dufry.

In 2002, Alessandro Benetton became the first Italian to join the Advisory Committee of Robert Bosch Internationale Beteiligungen AG in Zurich, the Swiss holding company’s advisory body for the Bosch Group’s international operations. Throughout his career, he has received significant awards and honours, such as the title of Cavaliere del Lavoro (2010), the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2011), the America Award from the Italy-USA Foundation (2016) and the Global Advocate of the Year award from UNCA (2023). In 2017, Alessandro Benetton was appointed President of the Fondazione Cortina 2021, the organising body for the 2021 World Ski Championships scheduled to take place in the Italian city. Always mindful of future generations, with the support of Edizione Spa, Mundys and Aeroporti di Roma, in 2025 he relaunched, as Founder and President, the Unhate Foundation, a third-sector organisation that promotes initiatives aimed at combating hatred and promoting social inclusion, with the support of a scientific committee composed mainly of people under 30.