Francesca Poggiali is VP for global public policy at GS1 after 8 years as Chief Public Policy Officer Europe. Her career includes a mixture of public and private sectors experience within Ferrero, the European Commission and Parliament and a couple of trade associations. She studied Corporate Social Responsibility at the Harvard Business School, and International and European Law in the UK and Italy where she received the highest recognition cum laude. Among her biggest achievements so far: the corporate social responsibility program for Ferrero International, the convergence of environmental protection and chemical industry impacts in the framework of the EU Chemical reform, the fight against illicit trade and digital product passports through open non-proprietary standards for GS1.

Michele brings an impressive 27-year journey in Senior Business and System Integration Management, Service Delivery Management, and Supply Chain Planning and Forecasting. Her expertise traverses the operational and strategic dimensions, leaving a mark on industries ranging from retail and manufacturing to financial services. With an expansive background in general and information technology management, Michele boasts corporate board experience as the GS1 South Africa Global Standards and Solution Executive, focusing on supply chain, standards, and information technology implementation. Michele's leadership style is marked by inclusivity and hands-on stewardship, driven by a profound passion to foster high-performance teams that, in turn, fortify and expand our local economies throughout Africa.