Leading Altagamma since 2013, Andrea Illy is the Chairman of illycaffè.
He is a passionate supporter of the stakeholder company business model, and firmly advocates for corporate responsibility as as means to improve society. A “humanist chemist,” as he likes to define himself, Mr. Illy also promotes culture and art, a sphere in which illycaffè has always been active. Under his leadership, the Altagamma Foundation was officially recognized as an ambassador of the Italian lifestyle in the world
Recognized as a coffee authority, Mr. Illy’s writings are published on a regular basis, and he serves as a speaker at major conferences throughout the world. In 1995, he published Espresso Coffee: The Chemistry of Quality, now in its second edition, and his memoir, A Coffee Dream, was published in 2015. He was the main contributor to Altagamma: Strategie per l’Italia d’Eccellenza, published in 2018 (Skyra).
His numerous professional recognitions include Marketing Superstar (Advertising Age, 1996); Entrepreneur of the Year (Ernst & Young, 2004); Capo d’Orlando (2013), and Guido Carli (2014). He was named Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of the Italian Republic in 2018.