Mario Monti Keynote Speaker

In August 2020, he was appointed Chairman of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development: Rethinking Policy Priorities in the light of Pandemics, convened by WHO/Europe.  In September 2021, he presented their findings which were considered as groundbreaking.   They provided an ambitious yet realistic agenda for a healthier, safer future. These recommendations give governments and decision-makers tools to prevent and better handle future health threats – recommendations that save lives and livelihoods, foster innovation, empower people and protect the planet.

Dr. Monti has had a long and distinguished career in public service and in academia.    In November 2011, with Italy close to default, President Napolitano called on Monti to form a government of national unity, taking the positions of Prime Minister (2011-2013) and Minister of Economy and Finance (2011-2012). The confidence vote by Parliament saw the highest majority in post-War Italy. Eliciting cross-party support, the government overcame the financial crisis, initiated structural reforms and obtained vital improvements in Euro-area governance.

After months of negotiations under Italy’s pressure, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland – which had strongly opposed the idea of interventions in order to stabilize sovereign bond markets – changed position and joined a unanimous statement by the Euro Summit (June 2012) calling for such interventions. This provided the ECB with the highest political coverage for a shift in monetary policy, which was in fact announced shortly afterwards by the ECB President.

Dr. Monti previously served for ten years as Member of the European Commission (1995- 2004). As Commissioner for the Single Market (1995-1999) and Competition (1999-2004), he fostered market integration whilst promoting tax coordination; and sanctioned high-profile cases of abuses of dominance (e.g. Microsoft), anticompetitive mergers (e.g. GE/Honeywell) and illegal state-aids (e.g. German government’s guarantees to public banks).

 A graduated of Bocconi University, he then pursued graduate studies at Yale University. He was professor of Economics at the University of Trento, at the University of Torino, and then at Bocconi, where he was Rector between 1989 and 1994.