Silvio Sangineto, 35, originally from Paola (Cosenza), is a real talent. Of those who do honor to Calabria, land as beautiful as it is stingy for many of his children, often forced to leave it to lay the foundations for their professional future elsewhere. He is, without a doubt, one of them. With courage, sacrifice and great determination he managed to make his dreams come true far from the village of origin, a beautiful town overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, famous for being the birthplace of San Francesco di Paola.
Silvio Sangineto, from Paola to Silicon Valley
Silvio Sangineto, a graduate in computer engineering at the University of Calabria, left his country to travel the world, until he landed in Palo Alto, in the Silicon Valley (California), where he chose to live and work. Here he enriched his professional experiences managing to become Principal User Experience Designer in Microsoft, the well-known American company leader in the IT sector, founded by Bill Gates. A milestone achieved after accumulating years of international experience inUser Experience Design for several companies (Macy, Bloomingdale, Lexus, Toyota, Bnp Paribas, Alabama Power). Not only. Silvio has been involved in over 60 projects on products, services and ecosystems used by over 150 million people around the world. As if that weren't enough, he boasts more than 150 positions as speaker, mentor and judge in international contexts.
Silvio Sangineto, ambassador of Italian excellence in the world
Since January 2020 he is ambassador of Italian excellence in the world. He, who has always loved traveling and having new experiences, fondly remembers when, as a child, he went to the wardrobe, and opening it he took out a large suitcase, which he dragged with difficulty towards the door of the house, arousing the hilarity of the his parents. Silvio has always wanted to explore the world and conquer new horizons, aware that “nothing is impossible, you just need to believe in it”. Today his personal mission is to enable individuals and companies around the world to realize their potential through methodologies of design. He talks about this and his life in the interview that follows.
How have these years been away from home and what is it like to be at the top of a company known all over the world?
«They have been challenging years, I have built a lot and this is just another important piece of my path. I am obviously happy, but I know very well that my particular mission is not complete. I still have many other dreams to fulfill, including my particular one mission to donate tools to humanity so that it can reach its potential. There are still too many people living below their potential, not only in Calabria and Italy. This will be the next chapter of my life ».
Silvio Sangineto and his fascinating work
Can you explain, in simple words, what your work consists of?
"The User Experience Design it's really fascinating. It combines the study of human behavior, technology and the world of business. I am in the center of it. My role is to make these hemispheres line up, to design products or services that people can love, and to make them easy to use. Beyond this, I deal - in various international contexts - with mentoring for startup, companies and people who want to build a different future or pursue a career in design ».
You have traveled a lot and known many cities, but where do you feel at home?
«Definitely here, in Silicon Valley, until now. It is similar in some ways to Calabria, but I appreciate its mentality: reinventing oneself, accepting ever greater challenges, the desire to dream and make one's dreams come true. Suffice it to say that, lately, we have been doing a design workshops to “design” the city as it should be in 2040, because here people are transformed again at all ages. Also, the climate is wonderful, there are all kinds of cuisine possible (Japanese is my favorite). Nature, then, is fantastic ».
"I miss the affections of Calabria"
What do you miss from your homeland?
“I miss the people I met along my path, the silly conversations with my high school friends and those with college colleagues. I miss being able to go for a ride to Unical and see my professors, to whom I am still attached. By the way, one of them has become one of my best friends and works right in Silicon Valley. I miss being able to go out for a pizza with my closest friends and chat about nothing until late at night. I miss all the loved ones ».
Besides computer engineering, what other passions do you cultivate?
«I love reading books, an indispensable source of energy. I love going to the mountains or walking around California, taking pictures. THE travel they are another passion of mine, but I think I will have to limit them for a while ».
What's your typical day?
“My day usually starts at 6 in the morning. While I prepare breakfast I read some articles on leadership, management or whatever catches my attention (Harvard Business Review is one of my favorite magazines), then I reply to messages on LinkedIn. My working day begins with checking my emails, after which I compile my daily diary which includes an infinity of meetings (at least 5 or 6 hours), followed by the rest of the work. Usually, I make lunch the night before (if I'm lucky). I try to eat healthily because of some regimes I have to follow. In the evening, I usually try to take a few minutes to meditate and relax by reading. This is the best time to exchange a few messages with my family, taking into account the time zone. For me it is crucial to start the day well. I spend time making long-term plans to see if I am on the right path or deviating too much from my personal one Vision».
Can you tell us about your family?
«My mother Katya is a model teacher in a primary school in Paola. He loves his job and children. I think I inherited my determination from her. My father was fundamental in my life: he taught me not to be materialistic, but honest, and to do what I like best. My paternal uncles live in Paola along with most of my cousins, with whom I always try to stay in touch. My maternal relatives are scattered between Montalto, Rende, Cosenza and Milan. We were able to bring my grandfather Luigi here to California for Christmas 2018. It was great, he had so much fun. I think it has not been easy over the years for my family to see me leave, but I am happy to be able to offer, today, a window on IT world; to all the people who know me ».
#italianinheart
Photo Official Page Silvio Sangineto
