Francesco Starace

CEO, Enel

Francesco Starace has been Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Enel S.p.A. since May 2014.

Mr Starace joined the Enel Group in 2000, holding several top executive positions including Head of Business Power (from July 2002 to October 2005) and Managing Director of the Market Division (from November 2005 to September 2008).

From 2008 to 2014 he served as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Enel Green Power, the Group’s renewable power generation subsidiary and a leading player in the global renewables industry. In November 2010 Mr Starace oversaw the initial public offering (IPO) of the company and its listing on the Milan and Madrid Stock Exchanges with a market capitalization of €8 billion.

He began his career in construction management of power generation plants, first with the General Electric Group, then at ABB Group, and subsequently at Alstom Power Corporation where he was Head of Gas Turbine Sales Worldwide.

Mr Starace’s consolidated international experience includes periods spent working in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bulgaria.

Since June 2014 he has been a member of the Advisory Board of the United Nations’ Sustainable Energy 4 All initiative. In May 2015 he joined the Board of Directors of the United Nations’ Global Compact. From January 2016 until January 2018 he was co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Energy Utilities and Energy Technologies Community. In October 2016 he was nominated co-chair of the B20 Climate & Resource Efficiency Task Force. In June 2017 he was elected President of the European electricity industry union Eurelectric.
The European Commission appointed him Member of the “Multi-stakeholder Platform on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the EU” in September 2017.

During 2018 he was honoured separately by the governments of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil with commendations and awards in recognition of his services to the energy sectors and sustainable development of those countries.

On 31 May 2018 he was made a “Cavaliere del Lavoro.” This honour is awarded by the President of the Italian Republic for commitment to – and results achieved in – improving living and working conditions in the Country.
A graduate in Nuclear Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan, he is married and has two sons. He is a keen cyclist, a supporter of the A.S. Roma football club, and has a passion for poetry.