Claudio Descalzi
{{Short description|Italian businessman (born 1955)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Claudio Descalzi
| image = Claudio Descalzi AD Eni.jpg
| alt =
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1955|2|27}}
| birth_place = Milan, Italy
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| education = University of Milan
| occupation = Businessman
| known_for =
| title = CEO, Eni
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| boards =
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| website = {{URL|http://www.claudiodescalzi.com}}
}}
Claudio Descalzi (born 27 February 1955{{cite web|url=https://leonardo.it/curiosita/chi-e-claudio-descalzi/|title=Chi è Claudio Descalzi, dalla laurea in fisica all’amministrazione di Eni|website=leonardo.it|date=15 April 2023|access-date=4 June 2025}}) is an Italian businessman, and the CEO of Italian oil company Eni since May 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/eni-names-claudio-descalzi-new-ceo/|title=Eni names Claudio Descalzi new CEO|date=12 May 2014|access-date=20 February 2018}}
Education
Career
Descalzi started to work at Eni in 1981,{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/stocks|title=Stocks|website=Bloomberg.com|access-date=20 February 2018}} when he joined the multinational company operating in the production and distribution of energy as a reservoir engineer, then he became Project Manager for the activities in North Sea, Libya, Nigeria and Congo.
In 1990, Descalzi was appointed Head of Reservoir and operating activities for Eni Italy, a position which led him to develop a new model and to increase production to 250,000 barrels per day. From 1994 to 1998 He was Managing Director of Eni’s subsidiary in Congo, starting in 1997 the production in the Kitina offshore.{{cite web|url=https://www.eni.com/enipedia/en_IT/international-presence/africa/enis-activities-in-the-republic-of-congo.page|title=Eni's activities in the Republic of Congo - Eni|website=www.eni.com|access-date=20 February 2018}} In 1998 he became Vice President and Managing Director of NAOC: during this period He started the export of gas produced at the NLNG liquefaction plant and the development of deep-water offshore local projects.{{cite web|url=https://www.eni.com/en_NG/eni-in-nigeria/eni-profile/eni-profile.shtml|title=Company Profile - Naoc|website=www.eni.com|access-date=20 February 2018}}
Descalzi was appointed Executive Vice President for Eni Africa, Eni Middle East and Eni China in 2000 and he defined, launched and oversaw the start-up of the Eni Western Libyan,{{cite web|url=http://wiki.openoil.net/Western_Libya_Gas_Project_(WLGP)|title=Western Libya Gas Project (WLGP) - Oil4All|website=wiki.openoil.net|access-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100544/http://wiki.openoil.net/Western_Libya_Gas_Project_(WLGP)|archive-date=21 February 2018|url-status=dead}} intended to increase the production of barrels per day in Libya from 85,000 to 280,000. From 2002 to 2005 he worked as Executive Vice President for Eni Italy, Eni Africa and Eni Middle East, covering at the same time the role of member of the board of several Eni subsidiaries. In 2005 he was appointed Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the Exploration & Production Division in Eni,{{cite web|url=https://www.eni.com/en_IT/operations/exploration-and-production.page|title=Upstream - Eni|website=www.eni.com|access-date=20 February 2018|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202012432/https://www.eni.com/en_IT/operations/exploration-and-production.page|url-status=dead}} a role he held until 2008.
Descalzi became in 2008 Chief Operating Officer of the Exploration & Production Division in Eni, giving his contribution to the definition of the strategic plan of upstream activities in Italy and abroad and starting important projects such as Goliat in Norway (2009),{{cite web|url=http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/03/14/enis-goliat-starts-production-in-norways-arctic/|title=Eni's Goliat starts production in Norway's Arctic|date=14 March 2016|access-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221162209/https://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/03/14/enis-goliat-starts-production-in-norways-arctic/|archive-date=21 February 2018|url-status=dead}} West Hub in Angola (2011){{cite web|url=http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/west-hub-development-project/|title=West Hub Development Project - Offshore Technology|access-date=20 February 2018}} and campaign of exploration in Mozambique (2013).{{cite web|url=http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/2014/02/eni-lines-up-next-appraisal-campaign-offshore-mozambique.html|title=Eni lines up next appraisal campaign offshore Mozambique|website=www.offshore-mag.com|access-date=20 February 2018}} In 2014 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Eni.
During his first mandate (2014-2017), Eni's financial statements reported net profits of 3.37 billion euros for the year 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eni.com/assets/documents/documents-en/Integrated-Annual-Report-2017-eng.pdf|title=Eni Annual Report 2017}} In 2016, he launched Progetto Italia, a program aimed at producing zero-emission energy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hpcwire.com/2018/01/23/eni-takes-lead-industrial-supercomputing/|title=Eni Takes the Lead in Industrial Supercomputing|date=24 January 2018|website=HPCwire}} Under his leadership, Eni opened two photovoltaic plants in Assemini{{Cite web|url=https://www.chemengonline.com/eni-builds-photovoltaic-plant-at-salt-production-site-in-southern-italy/|title=Eni builds photovoltaic plant at salt-production site in southern Italy|date=5 July 2018}} and Porto Torres,{{Cite web|url=https://steelguru.com/power/eni-starts-production-at-photovoltaic-plant-in-porto-torres/556154|title=Eni Starts Production at Photovoltaic Plant in Porto Torres|access-date=26 May 2020|archive-date=15 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815193550/https://steelguru.com/power/eni-starts-production-at-photovoltaic-plant-in-porto-torres/556154|url-status=dead}} both located in Sardinia, the former in August 2018 and the latter in February 2020.
On March 18, 2017, Descalzi was confirmed as the managing director for a second term.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/italy-treasury-chiefexecutives-idINL5N1GV0DR
|title=Italy proposes Profumo as new Leonardo CEO, confirms Eni, Enel chiefs|website=www.reuters.com}} In May of the same year, he announced the allocation of 21 billion euros in Italy for the next four years, with the objective of relaunching various sectors of the company.{{cite web|url=https://www.eni.com/en-IT/media/press-release/2017/05/eni-with-italy-21-billion-euros-of-planned-investment-over-the-next-four-years-and-a-transformation-plan-based-on-technology-skills-and-people.html|title=Eni with Italy: 21 billion euros of planned investment over the next four years|website=www.eni.com}} Since May 2018, Eni has been participating in the magnetic confinement fusion project of MIT and CFS.{{Cite web|url=https://news.mit.edu/2018/new-era-fusion-research-mit-eni-0309|title=A new era in fusion research at MIT|website=News.mit}} In September of the same year, Descalzi inaugurated the Gela biorefinery, an innovative plant designed for the production of biofuels.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/eni-gela-bio-refinery-europe/|title=Eni inaugurates its 750,000 tonnes Gela bio-refinery in Europe}} In November, Eni opened its first solar power plant in Pakistan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adnkronos.com/eni-completes-solar-plant-in-pakistan_4nIirkQtkh1MnmAoJcW3yq|title=Eni completes solar plant in Pakistan}}
On April 20, 2020, Descalzi was confirmed in his position for the third consecutive time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2020/04/21/descalzi-confirmed-as-eni-ceo-calvosa-named-president-3_77baeb3c-3919-41cb-afe2-7fbf8240fe9a.html|title=Descalzi confirmed as Eni CEO, Calvosa named president}} On February 19, 2021, he announced Eni's commitment to achieving the decarbonization of all Company's products and processes by 2050.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eni-results-idUSKBN2AJ1O1|title=Italy's Eni vows to become carbon neutral by 2050 in latest green push}}
In September 2022, Descalzi met with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment Khalid A. Al-Falih and signed an agreement aimed at promoting cooperation between Eni and Saudi Arabia.{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabia signs sustainable growth agreement with Eni |url=https://www.zawya.com/en/business/energy/saudi-arabia-signs-sustainable-growth-agreement-with-eni-rd07zaue |work=Zawya |date=5 September 2022}}
On April 12, 2023, Descalzi was confirmed by the Meloni government as head of Eni for the fourth consecutive term, a record in the history of the six-legged dog company.{{cite web|title=Nomine, Cattaneo ad e Scaroni presidente Enel. Cingolani a Leonardo. Confermati Descalzi (Eni) e Del Fante (Poste)|url=https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/nomine-cattaneo-ad-e-scaroni-presidente-enel-cingolani-leonardo-AEWFEWGD}}
Other activities
- President of Assomineraria (from 2006 to 2014)
- President of Eni UK (from 2010 to 2014)
- Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Member of the Global Board of Advisors (since 2015)[https://www.cfr.org/global-board-advisors Global Board of Advisors] Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
- Board member of Fondazione Teatro alla Scala (since 2015)
- Member of the General Counsel and Advisory Board of Confindustria (since 2016)
- Member of the National Petroleum Council (in 2016 and 2017){{cite web|url=http://www.npc.org/members/byNamcon.html|title=National Petroleum Council Membership by Name|website=www.npc.org|access-date=20 February 2018}}
- Visiting Fellow of the University of Oxford
- Atlantic Council, Member of the International Advisory Board[https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/about/international-advisory-board/ International Advisory Board] Atlantic Council.
- Co-Chair of the Oil and Gas Governors Community of the World Economic Forum (since 2025){{cite web|url=https://www.eni.com/en-IT/company/biographies/claudio-descalzi.html|website=Eni.com|title=Claudio Descalzi Biography}}
Corruption charges
Descalzi and other Eni executive leadership have faced legal charges for corruption involving $1.1 billion,{{cite news |title=Nigeria will lose $6 billion in ‘corrupt’ oil deal with Shell and Eni, report claims |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/27/nigeria-will-lose-6-billion-in-corrupt-oil-deal-with-shell-and-eni-report-claims.html |work=CNBC |date=27 November 2018}}{{cite news |title=Nigeria to Continue $3.5 Billion Claim Against Eni And Shell |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-19/nigeria-to-pursue-3-5-billion-civil-claim-against-eni-and-shell#xj4y7vzkg |work=Bloomberg |date=19 July 2022}} based on the company's operations in Nigeria{{Cite web|last=Brambilla|first=Alberto|date=July 21, 2020|title=Eni CEO Should Get 8 Years Jail on Bribe Charge, Prosecutor Says|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-21/italy-prosecutor-seeks-8-years-jail-for-eni-ceo-on-bribe-charge|access-date=2020-09-15|website=www.bloomberg.com}}{{Cite news|date=2020-07-30|title=Shell writes down Nigerian licence at heart of Italian bribery trial|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-shell-nigeria-eni-idUKKCN24V0V8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730174857/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-shell-nigeria-eni-idUKKCN24V0V8|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 30, 2020|access-date=2020-09-15}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.lastampa.it/cronaca/2018/02/07/news/i-sospetti-di-fake-news-per-proteggere-descalzi-1.33977141|title=I sospetti di fake news per proteggere Descalzi - La Stampa|date=February 7, 2018|website=lastampa.it|access-date=August 10, 2019}} and the Republic of the Congo.{{cite news |last=Parodi |first=Emilio |date=28 September 2019 |title=Italy investigates wife of Eni's CEO in Congo graft probe: document |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eni-congo-ceo-wife/italy-investigates-wife-of-enis-ceo-in-congo-graft-probe-document-idUSKBN1WD0PO |work=Reuters |location=Milan, Italy |access-date=11 October 2020}}
In December 2016, Milan prosecutor's office closed the Eni / Nigeria investigation of international corruption by putting under investigation eleven suspects, including the CEO of Eni, Claudio Descalzi. On March 17, 2021, the Milan Court acquitted all the defendants involved in the investigation as there was no case to answer. {{Cite web|title=Italian court acquits Shell, Eni in Nigeria corruption case|url=https://www.dw.com/en/italian-court-acquits-shell-eni-in-nigeria-corruption-case/a-56905415|website=dw.com}} Nigerian government stated that it is "disappointed" by the Milan court's ruling and "will continue to hold those responsible for the OPL 245 fraud accountable."{{cite news |title=Nigeria 'disappointed' as Shell, Eni acquitted in corruption case |url=https://www.africanews.com/2021/03/17/nigeria-disappointed-as-shell-eni-acquitted-in-oil-corruption-case/ |work=Africanews |date=17 March 2021}} On July 19, 2022, the Attorney General waived the appeal before the Second Section of the Court of Appeal of Milan, making the acquittal sentences pronounced in March 2021 definitive.{{Cite web|title=Italy prosecutors drop $1.3 billion Eni Nigeria graft appeal|url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/italy-prosecutors-drop-%241.3-billion-eni-nigeria-graft-appeal|website=nasdaq.com}} On October 8, 2024, the Court of Brescia sentenced prosecutors Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro to 8 months in prison in the Eni-Nigeria trial, on the grounds that they had omitted evidence favorable to the defendants, including Claudio Descalzi.{{cite news | url= https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-italian-prosecutors-convicted-hiding-documents-eni-shell-nigeria-trial-2024-10-08/| title= Two Italian prosecutors convicted for hiding documents in Eni-Shell Nigeria trial |newspaper= Reuters}}
For the Eni / Congo case, on February 8, 2023, the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office requested the dismissal of the proceeding.{{Cite web|title=Italian prosecutors drop Congo case against Eni CEO|url=https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/italian-prosecutors-drop-congo-case-163718686.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABDFNUq_ox8F1ToF_5zp4887W_GAWRX9oNg98eJXTijNB_9R5WmwUgYCbLL6aQBNASCn8-O0NxcHz7B53mLkYmptW7Y8epqRyJbZpsT2FANWHzxu0iaeWrkAekfMumrsqkMeWiWdigo383fPMH22bx8eCWmr3d8FPCMy-EeGTfi6
|website=Uk.finance.yahoo.com}}
Honours
- 2012 – Charles F. Rand Memorial Gold Medal - Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME). Claudio Descalzi was the very first European man to receive that prestigious international award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aboutenergy.com/en_IT/authors.shtml?contentId=2679640|title=About Energy | Authors|website=www.aboutenergy.com|access-date=August 10, 2019}}
- 2014 – He was nominated “Man of the year” by Staffetta quotidiana – An Italian magazine on petroleum.{{Cite web|url=https://www.agi.it/innovazione/2015/02/20/news/ceo_descalzi_dedicates_man_of_the_year_award_to_eni-121357/|title=CEO Descalzi dedicates Man of the Year award to Eni|website=Agi|access-date=August 10, 2019}}
- 2015 – He received the Corporate Social Responsibility Award by the Foreign Policy Association.
- 2016 – He was honoured with Laurea Honoris Causa in Environmental and Territorial Engineering at "Tor Vergata" University in Rome.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adnkronos.com/sostenibilita/best-practices/2016/12/15/descalzi-laurea-honoris-causa-ingegneria-per-ambiente_lLDVw3z73jEIya4Xshsx5L.html|title=A Descalzi laurea honoris causa in ingegneria per l'ambiente|website=Adnkronos|access-date=August 10, 2019}}
- 2022 – He was awarded with the Distinguished Business Leadership Award by Atlantic Council.
- 2025 – Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour.{{cite web|url=https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/133253|website=Quirinale.it|title=Il Presidente Mattarella ha firmato i decreti di nomina di 25 Cavalieri del Lavoro}}
References
{{Portal|Energy}}
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commonscatinline}}
- [https://www.eni.com/en_IT/company/our-management/claudio-descalzi-chief-executive-officer.page Claudio Descalzi Biography on Eni website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Descalzi, Claudio}}