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Georgetown Representative Office in Rome

March 24, 2023

Sustainability in the Textile and Clothing Industry

Event Series: Caring for the Future

A person looking at dresses on hangers

In consideration of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si and his call to protect our common home, this event created a space to reflect on the implementation of sustainable business practices in the textile and fashion sector. Divided into three parts, the event focused on entrepreneurship, government and strategy, and financial education, and speakers emphasized the importance of generating consumer awareness, designing clothing for longevity and recycling, and enacting incentives for sustainable business practices.

The event was made possible thanks to the support of Giovanni Luchetti, regional director EMEA at the Intelligent Investor (authorized representative of TIME Magazine), who also moderated the discussion.

This event was hosted by the Georgetown University Representative Office in Rome, in partnership with La Civiltà Cattolica and the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.​

Participants

A headshot of Giulio Bonazzi

Giulio Bonazzi

Giulio Bonazzi is CEO and chairman of Aquafil S.p.A., a leading player in the global carpet and textile materials industry. Aquafil was founded by Bonazzi’s parents 50 years ago in Arco, Italy. An innovator and disruptor, Bonazzi challenged the organization to develop a recycled nylon material by turning nylon waste such as old carpets and fishing nets into high-quality, beautiful fibers. Today, Aquafil is recognized as a sustainability leader, a stalwart example of the circular economy, and an innovator within the synthetic textile industry.

A headshot of Matteo Bozzalla

Matteo Bozzalla

Matteo Bozzalla is CEO of Valstar, a luxury brand founded in Milan in 1911. He still holds the positions of managing director at the Fratelli Fila S.p.A. Group and director of Simon Fiduciaria Trust Company, Ersel Bank Group. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bocconi University and has been a guest speaker at Instituto Marangoni Milano Fashion School, Università Cattolica Milano Master Luxury Goods Management, and Business School Sole 24 Ore Master Fashion & Luxury Management.

A headshot of Amy Myers Jaffe

Amy Myers Jaffe

Amy Myers Jaffe is director of the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab at New York University's School of Professional Studies and is a research professor who teaches graduate-level courses examining global climate finance, energy and climate justice, and sustainability. A leading expert on global energy policy, sustainability, and geopolitical risk, Jaffe is the author of several books, including Energy’s Digital Future (2021). Jaffe is co-chair of the Women in Energy Initiative at Columbia University and a faculty affiliate at the Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University.

A headshot of Giovanni Luchetti

Giovanni Luchetti

Giovanni Luchetti (moderator) specializes in writing country, regional, and theme-based investment reports, drawing on his proven expertise in turning economic data into critical information and knowledge that can be used to make sound business decisions. He extensively travelled and worked in emerging markets across Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America in order to develop a wide range of editorial content and comprehensive analysis for international investors featured in Forbes, TIME, and Harvard Business Review.

A headshot of Geraldine Penny McIntyre

Geraldine Penny McIntyre

Geraldine Penny McIntyre is former chief executive officer of Sunrise Senior Living. She is a global executive who has leveraged her skills in general management and marketing internationally with Newell Rubbermaid, the Coca-Cola Company, and S.C. Johnson. Currently, she serves on a portfolio of boards, including PVH, owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, where she chairs the corporate responsibility committee. She is currently enrolled in the Liberal Studies master’s degree program at Georgetown University, where she is completing her thesis on corporate responsibility.

A headshot of Paola Mungo

Paola Mungo

Paola Mungo is currently professor in charge of financial institutions and markets law at Bocconi University and teaches sustainable finance courses, as well as others, in master's and executive education programs at Università Cattolica Milano. She has a wealth of experience serving in top positions in the financial sector, including with the Zurich Financial Services group, where she first started, and with the Azimut Group, listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (part of the FTSEMib), where she was the co-chief executive officer and general manager. 

A headshot of Rev. Antonio Spadaro, S.J.

Rev. Antonio Spadaro, S.J.

Rev. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., (introductory remarks) is the editor in chief of the Jesuits’ biweekly review, La Civiltà Cattolica. Since entering the Society of Jesus in 1988, he has worked in a variety of capacities, including joining the review’s community in 1998. He has been a part of the review ever since. In late 2011, he became the review's editor in chief. Fr. Spadaro considers his work to be part of the new cybertheology – “thinking faith in the Internet age.”

A headshot of Debora Tonelli

Debora Tonelli

Debora Tonelli (welcome remarks) is the Georgetown University representative in Rome and permanent researcher at the Center for Religious Studies (Centro per le Scienze Religiose) at the Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Trento. She also serves as a lecturer at Gregorian University and Pontifical Atheneum S. Anselmo and a research fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. Tonelli's research and teaching address the interaction between politics and religion, particularly in the context of interreligious dialogue and religious violence.

A headshot of Emily Zeeberg

Emily Zeeberg

Emily Zeeberg (welcome remarks) joined the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See as public affairs officer in June 2021. Previously, she served as press attaché at U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh, staff assistant to Ambassador Bill Hagerty at U.S. Embassy Tokyo, and a consular officer at U.S. Embassy Moscow. Prior to joining the U.S. State Department, she was a reporter and editor for several outlets in New York City, including eight years with the Associated Press.