Prime Highlights :
- Flavia Volpi said women in in-house legal roles now play a stronger part in strategic decision-making and leadership.
- She stressed that the legal profession needs to focus more on impact and contribution rather than visibility.
Key Facts :
- Volpi heads legal and corporate affairs at Cimbali Group, one of Italy’s leading professional coffee equipment companies.
- She moved from the path of joining an international law firm to an in-house leadership role, which shaped her career direction.
Background :
Flavia Volpi, head of legal and corporate affairs at Cimbali Group, highlighted the growing role of women in leadership across Italy’s legal and corporate sectors.
Volpi, who leads legal and corporate affairs at one of Italy’s leading professional coffee equipment companies, said her career took a defining turn when she moved from the path of joining an international law firm to an in-house leadership role. The move aligned her professional strengths more closely with the business and widened her understanding of strategic decision-making.
She said leadership goes beyond offering legal advice and now requires taking responsibility for decisions, anticipating business needs, and guiding the company’s direction. Volpi said passion for the work and a deep understanding of the business have been central to her leadership approach.
On gender equality, she said women in in-house legal roles now have a stronger role in strategic decision-making instead of being limited to support functions. She also pointed to rising female representation in governance roles and committees.
Volpi said inclusion begins with everyday decisions, particularly in appointments and governance structures. She cited stronger female representation in leadership bodies as an example of this progress.
She also stressed that the legal profession still needs a cultural shift toward measuring impact rather than visibility. She said women should be evaluated on the substance of their contribution and should feel confident in pursuing responsibility and leadership roles.
Volpi encouraged young women entering the legal profession not to fear career changes, saying that clarity often comes through experience and that professional growth is rarely linear.
