| Living the ‘Good Life’ in Dublin |
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| Vittorio Lacagnina, a managing director at DEPFA Bank, has worked all over the world, including six years with Goldman Sachs in New York and London. Now based in Dublin, Lacagnina enjoys ‘the warmth of the Irish’, but argues that Dublin needs to move away from its servicing reputation, and develop a broader appeal to the financial services industry as a whole. |
Vittorio Lacagnina is managing director at DEPFA Bank plc, where he is responsible for the implementation of DEPFA’s client management strategy globally. He is involved in various initiatives in public sector banking, including emerging markets presence and new products, as well as being executive sponsor for the internally managed implementation of a firm-wide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
Career background
I worked in M&A and corporate finance with Goldman Sachs from 1998 to 2004 out of New York covering Latin America, and London, where I covered the Italian market. In 2003, I assumed managerial and project responsibility for the execution of the joint venture between Archon Group (Goldman Sachs Group) and Capitalia, in the Italian non-performing loan servicing business.
Originally from Italy, I completed my secondary school in the US, and I went to university in London at the European Business School, where I got a 1st class BA(Hon) in International Business Studies. I have lived in a number of cities such as Rome, New York, London, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Dublin, and am fluent in French and Spanish in addition to English and Italian.
How long have you been in your current position? Since September 2004.
How did you come to work in Ireland? I met the chairman of DEPFA Bank plc through a personal contact, and decided to accept an offer with DEPFA and relocate to Dublin, where the bank has its headquarters.
What’s the best thing about being located in Ireland? The warmth of the Irish counterbalances the bitterness of the weather.
What’s the worst thing about being located in Ireland? Besides the weather, the health care system.
How does the work culture in Ireland differ to that in your home country? Possibly less bureaucratic and more efficient, but not by far. Surely more international.
How is the sector in which you work in Ireland, different to that in your home country? The financial services sector in Ireland is much more geared towards the investment and the fund administration side, as well as back office operations. Italy is not as competitive in the sector and recent scandals affecting the banking industry are to be taken as a signal the the sector needs to be more open to changes.
From an international perspective, how would you rate Ireland as a financial services sector? Dublin has established itself as a hedge fund servicing hub, but I think it still has to develop a broader appeal to the financial services industry as a whole, in particular for investment banking. I am not aware of how this sector is developing elsewhere in the country.
What’s your favorite place in Ireland and why? The Beara Peninsula in West Cork - breathtaking views and a taste of true Irish life, probably the most scenic area in Ireland. |
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| Article appeared in the August 2006 issue.
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