Federmanager and Open-es join forces to develop managers’ ESG skills

Federmanager joins Open-es alliance to strengthen ESG skills of managers across all participating companies by establishing certification framework for training and management competencies 

San Donato Milanese (Milan), 15 January 2024 - Federmanager and Eni, representing Open-es, have signed a memorandum of understanding to create and promote training and certification programmes with the ambition of setting a national standard for ESG skills among managers of all types of companies.

The partnership is fully in line with the goals set out by Open-es, an alliance between industry, finance and public institutions aimed at supporting companies and supply chains with concrete tools and solutions to monitor and improve the sustainability performance of private businesses – and particularly SMEs.

Federmanager and Open-es recognise the key role managers’ skills and sensitivity play in making a company’s transition plans effective. For this reason, Federmanager and Open-es aim to develop and implement effective training solutions tailored to different sectors.

Using Open-es’ platform and involving over 15,000 participating companies, it will be possible to develop training specifically designed to meet the needs of different supply chains and monitor efficacy over time. Managers will have access to specialised training organised by Federmanager, with the support of ESGR Società Benefit, Deloitte Climate & Sustainability Società Benefit and the Federmanager Academy. They will also be able to have their skills certified through Federmanager’s BeManager programme via RINA.

“The memorandum we have signed with Eni confirms our commitment to using shared expertise to promote innovation and growth and revitalise Italy’s values and economy. This will contribute to strengthening the ESG skills of corporate managers,” said Stefano Cuzzilla, President of Federmanager. “The sustainability challenge is broad and requires a collective effort. This is why we are glad to be working with the Open-es Alliance to promote training and skills certification for managers participating in the programme. Leveraging our network’s training expertise, we are committed to accelerating the move towards sustainability, led by managers and their companies.” 

By involving partners in the Open-es alliance and the outstanding members of the Federmanager network, we will be able to pool different experiences, viewpoints and skills to create a national framework of reference, in line with the collaborative spirit of the initiative.

Open-es and Federmanager both emphasise the need to bring together key players across industry, finance, and public institutions to guide companies and their managers along shared pathways to support the sustainability and competitiveness of the Italian entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“In the journey towards a sustainable transition, technical expertise and personal qualities are both key factors for managers making important decisions across evolving business models" said Costantino Chessa, Head of Procurement at Eni. “With Open-es, our goal is to create an ecosystem that includes SMEs as well as large industrial and financial companies to spread awareness about how sustainable development can provide a competitive edge alongside value chains, and to bring about synergies and collaboration opportunities. This is why the inclusion of Federmanager in this alliance is a key step towards supporting companies and their managers striving to achieve these common goals.”