Sandro Veronesi

After graduating from the University of Verona with a degree in business and economics, Sandro Veronesi began to work for the Italian king of hosiery, Nerino Grassi, at the Golden Lady Company. In 1987, after four years at the firm (where he was already a director), he decided to launch his own store on the side, focusing on tights and stockings. By the end of that first year, the stores, called Calzedonia, had three locations in Verona. He married Grassi's daughter Nadia and, in order to avoid closing the stores during the summer, launched a line of beachwear. Veronesi left Golden Lady in 1993 to fully focus on Calzedonia, expanding into lingerie, pajamas, and even cashmere, with the intention of offering low cost but high quality products to the masses. Along with the namesake Calzedonia brand, the company's other brands include Intimissimi, Tezenis, and Falconeri. Knighted as a Cavaliere del Lavoro in 2009, Veronesi, who owns 85% of privately held Calzedonia Group, is passionate about wine, and opened Signorvino, a chain of wine shops, cafes and restaurants across Italy.