Director , Regional Department for Europe at World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Alessandra Priante is a Business BA graduate at Università Luigi Bocconi, holds an Executive MBA at Luiss Guido Carli University and an International Master in Audiovisual Management. She successfully merged her strong experience in corporate finance and M&A operations, developed within international investment banks in her initial job posts, with her cultural expertise, joining since 2002 the Italian Ministry of Culture – Direction for Cinema, with the task of restructuring public finances for the culture sector. As a major output, she created the first public RSU in the audio-visual sector, focused on the design, set-up and implementation of the most important sector reforms. As a firm believer in the importance of international networks and in the power of lobbying, she has created has been part and at times initiated various international think tanks and also represented Italy in all international and European Institutions devoted to culture. As an expert also of the Middle East area, she has been appointed in the years 2010-2015 Government Envoy to the Middle East (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrein, Kuwait) in the role of Italian Diplomatic Cultural Representative for the Gulf Area, with the task of taking care of promoting Italian culture and education.
She has been in charge of multilateral international relations (UNWTO, OECD and EUROPE) and policy issues for the Italian Ministry of Food, Agricultural and forestry policies and tourism and is now the Director of Regional Department for Europe at World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). She has also actively participated in the research and analysis work behind the preparation of the National Strategic Plan for Tourism 2017-2022, approved at the beginning of 2017.
In line with her academic preparation and research attitude, Alessandra has published numerous sector publications and books and teaches culture management and international audiovisual analysis at some of the major Universities in Italy for post-graduate students.
Alessandra is a cinéphile and a trained musician. Loves art and culture, her Country and her family.