Tribute TO THE OUTGOING CHAIRMAN, GIOVANNI RAVAZZOTTI

It is an honour to pay our respects to the outgoing Chairman, ‘Mr R’, as he is affectionately known in the business, as he steps down from a position held with distinction for 54 years.

Visionary pioneer, extraordinary entrepreneur, passionate leader and generous mentor describe the man who founded this business in 1969 and steered it through five decades that have witnessed the world - and our industry - change beyond recognition.

Throughout this tumultuous time, the Group has benefited from his steadfast leadership, unerring judgement and instinctive, insightful understanding of the business, the customer and the market.

Quoted as saying that his greatest achievement has been ‘making a difference in the lives of many people’, exemplifies his commitment to those he works with and the communities in which this business operates. His obsession with empowering his people is manifested through the various training and development programmes, profit-sharing incentives and partnership ethos that underpin the Group’s corporate culture and his founding principles.

Equally, his support for local community socio-economic initiatives and personal involvement in the environmental sector have far-reaching impacts on the neediest in our country.

Mr R is an inspiration to the Italtile team. He embodies the virtues of hard work, honest endeavour, courage and humility. While his designation has changed, he will continue to be a driving force in this business and we are extremely fortunate to retain his vast wealth of knowledge and support. On behalf of all the people of Italtile, we would like to congratulate him on his exemplary tenure and thank him for setting the Gold standard for us to strive for.

The Board