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Speaker profile

Senior Strategic Advisor & Director for EMEA at Axiom Space

The Hon. Manlio Di Stefano serves as the Senior Strategic Advisor & Director for EMEA at Axiom Space, playing a pivotal role in expanding the company’s international network and strategic partnerships.

Prior to joining Axiom Space, he held distinguished positions in Italian institutions, including Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister Delegate for Trade of the Republic of Italy, serving from 2013 to 2022. During his tenure at the Foreign Ministry, he was responsible for the internationalization of Italian companies, global trade policies (including G7 and G20), as well as energy, research, innovation, digitalization, and space cooperation.

In 2013, he became responsible for the foreign policy of the Five Star Movement, then Italy’s leading political party. From 2013 to 2018, he was an active member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, serving on the Committee on Migration, Refugees, and Displaced Persons. In this capacity, he chaired the Sub-Committee on Refugee and Migrant Children and Young People, leading impactful initiatives on humanitarian issues.

A Computer Engineering graduate from the Università degli Studi di Palermo, Manlio began his career at Accenture, working as a Business Intelligence Analyst, developer, and IT consultant across multiple industries, including oil & gas, banking, finance, and consumer goods.

Beyond his professional career, he has been actively involved in humanitarian work, volunteering with Amka Onlus, an Italian NGO operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guatemala, focusing on sustainable development projects.

Manlio is also a devoted husband and a proud father to a wonderful daughter.