Gianni Lettieri is an Italian entrepreneur and manager, chairman and chief executive officer of the aircraft maintenance company Atitech and CEO of Meridie S.p.A. He began his career in textiles before expanding into aviation and renewable energy. Known for his sustainable initiatives and social commitment, he transformed Atitech into a European leader in aircraft maintenance and promoted significant charitable projects.
Gianni Lettieri is an Italian entrepreneur and manager known for serving as chairman of Atitech, a company active in aircraft maintenance, as well as chief executive officer and chairman of Meridie S.p.A.. Born in Naples in 1956, he earned a technical diploma in surveying and then began studying Business Administration. During the same period, he began his professional career by assisting with the management of the sales division of a company in La Spezia.[1]
Entrepreneurial activities and entry into the textile industry
In 1979, he began his entrepreneurial career in the textile sector, opening two plants in Casandrino and Monza with an entrepreneur from Lombardy. The plants specialised in fabric processing, dyeing and finishing.[2]
In 1989, following extensive market research, Gianni Lettieri founded the first European company specialising in the production of ring-spun denim, a particularly durable cotton fabric. The product achieved considerable success, reaching overseas markets and bringing Lettieri wider recognition; numerous international magazines published features and cover stories about him.[1]
In 1992, following privatisation, he acquired Manifatture Cotoniere Meridionali in Italy, winning the auction despite competition from prominent entrepreneurs in northern Italy.[2]
In 1995, in partnership with the Indian Raymond Group, he established the Raymond Calitri India joint venture, the first company in the country to produce ring-spun denim.[1]
Sustainable investments, the founding of Meridie S.p.A. and the acquisition of Atitech
In 2006, Gianni Lettieri recognised the potential of the green-energy sector and founded Compagnia per lo sviluppo di Energia Rinnovabile CO.S.ER. S.r.l. The following year, he broadened his business interests by establishing Meridie S.p.A. through the family holding company. Previously known as Investimenti e Sviluppo Mediterraneo S.p.A., it was the first investment company from southern Italy to be listed on the MIV segment of Borsa Italiana. In 2008 he continued this path by founding MEDSOLAR S.p.A., a start-up focused on renewable energy.[1]
His entrepreneurial career continued in 2009 with the acquisition of Atitech S.p.A., an Italian company based in Naples and specialising in the maintenance of civil and military aircraft. As chairman, Lettieri led significant changes that culminated in the 2015 purchase of the Alenia facility at Capodichino. The acquisition transformed Atitech into Europe's largest independent maintenance company, with 20 operational lines and 15 aircraft parking areas.[2]
Acquisition of Alitalia's Engineering and Maintenance division
In November 2022, Atitech expanded its operations by acquiring Alitalia's Engineering and Maintenance division, which had previously been under extraordinary administration. The acquisition doubled the company's maintenance, repair and overhaul capacity, adding four hangars at Fiumicino to the five already operating at Capodichino. The new facilities included six production lines for narrow-body aircraft and five for wide-body aircraft. Through the expansion, Atitech obtained additional certifications and broadened its technical expertise, including work on composite materials and non-destructive inspections. The company significantly strengthened its line-maintenance operations, meaning the daily work carried out on aircraft, including during the short intervals between landing and the next departure. The number of airports at which Atitech provided line-maintenance services consequently rose to 32: 21 locations in Italy and eleven abroad, across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America.[1]
Later that same month, during two events held in Fiumicino and Capodichino, Gianni Lettieri outlined the company's future development plans, introduced new team members and involved local institutions.[1] Lettieri stated that his ambition was to make Italy, and Naples in particular, a central hub for European aviation, emphasising the strategic value of his investments.[3]
At the end of 2022, Atitech employed 1,388 people: 898 manual workers, 461 office employees, 26 middle managers and 3 executives. The number had risen to 1,447 by 2 May 2023.[4] Under Lettieri's leadership, the company recruited several talented young graduates from STEM faculties.[5]
Other positions and activities
From 1992 to 1997, he served as a member of the board of directors of EDIME, publisher of the Naples daily newspaper Il Mattino.[1]
In 2000, he became chairman of the Industrialists' Union of the Province of Avellino.
From 2004 to 2008, he was elected chairman of the Industrialists' Union of the Province of Naples. He was confirmed for a further two-year term, setting a record in the Union's history with six consecutive years as chairman.[2] During this period, Lettieri extended his involvement beyond the local level, taking an active role in the central committee for southern Italy of Confindustria Nazionale and the advisory committee of the NHS Mezzogiorno SGR Risk Capital Promotion Fund for southern Italy. He also held prominent roles within Confindustria at national level, both on its executive council and its board.[4]
From 2008 to 2010, he served as a member of the board of directors of Il Sole 24 Ore S.p.A..[2]
In 2018, Gianni Lettieri was appointed vice-president of BusinessMed, the association of Mediterranean employers' organisations. He held the position until 2019, consolidating his presence and involvement in the Mediterranean industrial landscape.[1]
Charitable work
Gianni Lettieri is known for his charitable and social commitment, promoting initiatives to support local communities, young people and businesses, with particular attention to southern Italy. His most significant actions include working with the Ministry of the Interior on the management of businesses confiscated from the Camorra, the âpact for legalityâ against extortion and the establishment of a protocol with the Italian Banking Association for the suspension of mortgage payments. Lettieri also launched the âYoung Entrepreneursâ award, intended to recognise the most enterprising projects devised by secondary-school students.[1]
During Christmas 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Lettieri used Atitech's canteen for a charitable initiative that provided hot meals to families in need in the Secondigliano, San Pietro a Patierno and Rione SanitĂ districts. The project was resumed and expanded in subsequent years, distributing more than 200 meals a day during the holiday period, with the aim of extending the service throughout the year in partnership with the Municipality of Naples and other organisations. The solidarity canteen operated again in later years, including Christmas 2023.[6]
In May 2021, Lettieri converted one of Atitech's hangars into a vaccination hub, contributing to the Covid-19 vaccination campaign by administering more than 260,000 doses over six months. The initiative employed more than 150 people each day and demonstrated a strong commitment to public health, alongside a donation of 20,000 FFP2 masks to the regional health service.[1]
Honours and awards
In 2008, he received the âMediterranean Economy and Enterprise Awardâ from the Fondazione Mediterraneo, in recognition of the achievements made while managing the Industrialists' Union of Naples.[2] In the same year, at the Italian Senate, he received the 29th âGuido Dorso Awardâ, an honour granted by the President of the Italian Republic in recognition of his determination and efforts to improve economic conditions in southern Italy.[1]
In 2009, he received the âMasaniello Awardâ, presented by AIGE (Italian Association of Economics), in recognition of his entrepreneurial insight and commitment to the local area.[1]
In 2010â2011, he received the âGolden Heart Awardâ from Center Angels, recognising his significant social contribution.[2]
In 2011, the University of Naples Parthenope awarded him an honorary degree in Law, specialising in âBusiness Administration and Legislationâ.[4]
Gianni Lettieri and Giorgio Napolitano
Gianni Lettieri and Sergio Marchionne
Gianni Lettieri and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo
