Nerio Alessandri

Nerio Alessandri (Gatteo (FC), 8 April 1961) is an Italian entrepreneur ^[2] and President and founder of Technogym (since 1983).

Biography

In 1983 Nerio Alessandri,^[3] a 22-year-old industrial designer combined his design skills with his passion for sport to found Technogym, and began building exercise equipment in the garage of his home.

In 1984 he designed the Isotonic Line, the very first Technogym training line for gyms and then in 1986 came Unica, the first, hi-tech design, home trainer.

In 1988 he patented the CPR system, a scientific algorithm for constant pulse/heart rate training that became the hallmark of Technogym products.

In 1993 at the 1st California Tradefair International Conference in Rimini, Alessandri defined his Wellness concept: a lifestyle based on regular physical activity, balanced diet and a positive outlook. From this moment on Wellness became the foundation of the Technogym philosophy and the tagline “The Wellness Company” was added to the corporate logo.

In 2001 Alessandri was nominated “Cavaliere del Lavoro” (Knight of Industry) by the President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, which made him the youngest-ever holder of this title in Italian history.

In November 2003 he was named Italian “Entrepreneur of the Year 2003” and then represented Italy at the “World Entrepreneur of the Year”.

In March 2004 he was elected to the Association of Italian Industrialists (Confindustria) Board of Directors and this mandate was renewed in 2008 for the next four years.

In April 2004 he received an honorary degree (Laurea Honoris Causa) from the Faculty of Motor Sciences at the University of Urbino.

In November 2004 he was presented the Leonardo Award for Italian Quality by the President of the Italian Republic.

In April 2005 he received an honorary degree (Laurea ad Honorem) from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Bologna.

In November 2007 the United States Chamber of Commerce named Nerio Alessandri entrepreneur of the year in the economics category.

In February 2009 he was nominated Vice President of the Leonardo Committee, an association that promotes Italian quality and the image of Italy throughout the world.

In September 2009 Nerio Alessandri was nominated “World Heart Champion” by the World Heart Federation, the cardiology association of the World Health Organisation, for his commitment to promoting Wellness and a healthy lifestyle.

In May 2010 he was awarded the Guido Carli Award for the “Corporate Social Responsibility” category.

Honours

Cavaliere del Lavoro – (Knight of Industry).^[4]

Wellness

Wellness^[5] is a lifestyle based on regular physical activity, balanced diet and a positive outlook, first defined by Nerio Alessandri^[6] in the early 90s. The concept of Wellness is founded on the ancient Roman maximum of mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body) and is a genuine alternative to the American concept of fitness.^[7] Fitness focuses on a small group of sports enthusiasts, whereas Wellness speaks to a much wider range of people who wish to improve their lifestyle.

In 2003, at the Wellness Congress organized in Cesena by the Wellness Foundation, Alessandri launched the slogan “Stare bene conviene” (Wellness pays) to highlight that a good psycho-physical condition is an all round advantage. For individuals who enjoy a better life. For companies, who can count on a more creative, more productive, more focused team. And for public health expenditure too, as a healthier population has less need of the National Health Service.

Wellness Foundation

In 2003 the Wellness Foundation was established. This no profit association supports scientific research, health education and the promotion of a Wellness lifestyle. The Foundation operates with specific projects in the sphere of health, instruction, research, art and culture. This foundation is the expression of the entrepreneur’s social responsibility, as it decides how to use its capital in social utility projects aimed at improving people’s quality of life with a particular emphasis on the local area in which the company is based. This is why one of the main initiatives promoted by the Foundation is the “Wellness Valley, Romagna Benessere” project with the aim of enhancing the natural characteristics of the Romagna region and establishing it as a leader in terms of people’s quality of life.

Moreover, in 2007, the Wellness Foundation promoted the “Cesena città che cammina” (Cesena, the walking city) project, which offered local people a free health check up and advice on illness prevention.

In 2008, together with the Municipality of Cesena and the local health service, the Foundation conducted a survey on the level of physical exercise practised by young people in Cesena. For many years now, the Foundation has worked together with a number of major prevention, research and care organizations to provide information and raise awareness of health issues. These organizations include the Istituto Oncologico Romagnolo (Romagna Oncology Institute), the Lega Italiana Lotta ai Tumori (Italian Tumour Prevention League), and the Fondazione Italiana per il Cuore e Diabete Italia (Italian Heart and Diabetes Foundation) .

The Foundation also promotes the Wellness Congress, the main event for promoting and raising awareness of Wellness issues. The first congress was held in Cesena in 2003, and has since met every year in various countries around the world. Through the shared experiences of doctors, entrepreneurs, fashion designers, architects, and celebrities from the worlds of sport, culture and institutions, the Wellness Congress demonstrates how a healthy lifestyle can concretely improve people's quality of life, corporate performance and state expenditure.

Technogym

Nerio Alessandri^[8] is the Technogym President and CEO. Today, Technogym is a world leader ^[9] in the Fitness and Wellness solutions sector and boasts approximately 55,000 installations worldwide in 35,000 wellness centres and 20,000 private homes. Estimates suggest that approximately 20 million people use Technogym products every day. The company has 2000 employees in 13 branches in Europe, the United States, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and South America and 90% of its turnover is made up of exports sent to over 100 different countries. Its revenues are 350M in 2010.^[10] This company was the exclusive and official supplier for the athletes training centers at the last 4 editions of the Olympic Games since Sydney 2000 to Beijing 2008 Olympic Games^[11] and will be the same for London 2012 Olympics.^[12]

Other entrepreneurial experiences

At the beginning of 2003 Alessandri became a shareholder in Enervit, a leading company in the sports nutrition sector.

In 2006 he purchased a 40% stake in Starpool, a company based in Trentino specialised in the design and construction of health spas.

Publications

In 2001 Alessandri published the book “Wellness. Scegli di vivere bene”^[13] (Wellness. Welcome to a better life) the manual-manifesto of the Wellness philosophy. In 2005 Technogym and Nerio Alessandri featured in the Italian edition of Blue Ocean Strategy< (ISBN 978-1591396192), the Chan Kim – Mauborgne best seller. Featured in the 2007 publication Soft Economy (ISBN 978-8817008372), Technogym was a case study in sound and flexible Italian enterprise that represents the best of Made in Italy. In the same year he edited the publication “Wellness-Storia e Cultura del vivere bene”^[14] (Wellness-The History and Culture of Healthy Living) (Sperling & Kupfer), a volume that defines the historical and conceptual path of wellness through twelve essays written by Italian and international academics. In 2008, the book “A Successful Life Begins with Wellness” was published in China. This volume defines the concept of wellness in oriental society and includes personal testimonies by Nerio Alessandri and other important figures in the world of Chinese culture, business, sport and show business, describing how they have achieved success through Wellness. In 2010 featured in the Bill Emmott best seller Forza, Italia - Come ripartire dopo Berlusconi (ISBN 978-8817044929) as an example of Italian excellence.

References

External links