Rising Stars of the Profession 2021: Mattia Zago

Consulting is more than just giving advice – it is about carrying the client in the right direction. It is tough, and it is even tougher when you are a junior and even more when your background isn't in the domain you are advising in. And that's how Mattia Zago got the attention of nominators within his firm.

In the two years since he joined EFESO, a strategy & operations consulting boutique, Mattia participated in more than 25 projects, ranging from industrial plans for key global players in fashion and luxury sports car manufacturers to operational and business due diligence for international funds operating in the industrial sector.

He achieved a double promotion from the entry-level role of Assistant Consultant to Consultant and recently to Senior Consultant, developing and consolidating his competencies and specializing in supporting Private Equity and Industrial Funds during M&A projects. Simultaneously, he developed robust expertise in Automotive Manufacturing, advising strategic decisions at different levels of the organization and with respect to different processes – from engine manufacturing to manufacturing transition to EVs, from body welding to vehicle assembly and finishing – in particular for Italian luxury sports car manufacturers.

He credits curiosity, vision and action as the biggest factors in his success so far. "Curiosity stands at the core since you need to be curious to put yourself out of the comfort zone and renewal your challenges; vision is the thing that guides you to chase your targets, and it is the most powerful fuel you need to have even when you're running out of motivation – resilience then comes to help; finally action, as anything can't be really accomplished without putting your self in action and doing what you need to do."

Mattia says this of the best advice he has received, "My mentor from university (now a partner in an MBB) said 'Getting to the top is a long journey that requires time, dedication and vivid spirit. Enjoy the moment looking ahead, while leveraging the experience of the past.'"

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry? "Contents, challenges, and opportunities. Content-wise consulting represents an accelerator, letting juniors deal with content that is not frequently managed in a corporate environment, allowing fast growth both professionally and personally; challenge-wise, consulting is undoubtedly teaching a lot, from conflict resolution to team-leading (both client and consulting), passing by time management – pretty tough when having multiple clients at hand; finally, opportunities, e.g. from seeing different context, different managerial styles, different products/services – all relevant to further develop a consolidated understanding of what is really relevant for you in the future."