16 | Acquisition International, November 2025 Auctioneering CFO of the Year 2025 (Italy): Alessandro Consoli & Financial Leadership Excellence Award 2025 ounded in 1959 by the Milanese banker Gian Marco Manusardi and later acquired by a new group of investorshareholders with the vision of creating an auction house that was “by collectors for collectors,” Finarte is a company that has written the history of the Italian art market. Over the decades, the company has grown steadily, broadening its scope and building an increasingly diversified offering. Today, Finarte stands as a leading player in the artistic and collecting landscape with 21 departments, 70 auctions held annually, and ongoing expansion into the luxury, art, and design sectors. The company serves a highly diverse clientele, from private collectors to enthusiast, foundations to galleries, and clients active in the world of luxury and fine craftsmanship. Alongside this network are the professionals who contribute to the creation of the auction product, comprising photographers, graphic designers, experts, consultants, printers, and many other specialised suppliers who, behind the scenes, ensure a high quality result, meticulously curated to the smallest detail. Finarte is a multifaceted group composed of three companies, operating in the auction world with a unique, cross-sector vision: from luxury – jewellery, watches, and fashion – to art and photography; from wine, books, comics, and design to antique arms and militaria. It operates within a diverse and constantly evolving universe, one that requires the ability to navigate across very different, internationally oriented markets. In such a complex environment, characterised by increasingly strict regulatory constraints and profound structural changes, it became necessary for Finarte to undergo a true cultural transformation: moving away from the traditional family-run business model to embrace a more managerial, solid, and structured approach. Leading this transition required a complete redesign of central functions to build a broad, integrated system. Alongside the traditional areas of accounting, administration, IT, and HR, new strategic functions were introduced: legal and organisational, to establish clear procedures; finance and treasury, focused on cash flow and forward-looking projections; planning and control, to support agile decision-making; commercial planning, driven by data and performance forecasting; procurement, to monitor spending and negotiate commitments; and anti-money laundering, ensuring regulatory compliance and risk protection. This journey of transformation was steered by Alessandro Consoli, Finarte’s Chief Financial Officer, whose strategic vision and operational leadership have been instrumental in reshaping the company’s internal architecture. Today, Alessandro oversees the Group’s core functions – ranging from administration, finance, and compliance to ICT infrastructure, HR, and procurement – ensuring that every area operates with precision, agility, and alignment to broader business goals. A key part of Alessandro’s role at Finarte involves supporting the CEO in defining both qualitative and quantitative objectives, setting the Group’s general policies in human resources development and management, designing and evolving organisational models aimed at enhancing effectiveness and efficiency, defining corporate strategies and objectives, and optimising cost structures through targeted planning and investment. Over the course of his career, Alessandro has taken on a variety of responsibilities that have shaped both his professional and personal growth. Yet it was his accumulated experience within the AFC area that proved most instrumental in preparing him for the CFO role. Early positions in accounting – first at a tax consultancy firm, then at a major telecommunications company – provided a solid foundation in financial reporting. Later, as a controller in two banking startups, Alessandro developed a strategic mindset, learning to support decisions with reliable data and forward-looking analysis. Working in the banking sector from the very startup phase was particularly formative. There, Alessandro learned that no barrier is insurmountable, only challenges to be met with the right mindset. In such a dynamic and uncertain environment, Alessandro strengthened his flexibility, learned to reassess priorities, and maintained longterm focus until ideas became tangible results. Starting out as an intern, he also learned humility: the importance of staying open to learning, even at the highest levels. Determination and patience became the cornerstones of his approach, shaping a leadership style rooted in perseverance. “These steps naturally led me to my current position as CFO,” he told us, “where I draw daily on what I learned in the past: the precision of accounting, the ability to read and interpret numbers, the skill to translate financial data into actionable guidelines for business growth, and the capacity to constantly simulate future scenarios in order to anticipate key variables. My professional journey has allowed me to grow not only from a technical standpoint, but also in the development of soft skills that I now consider fundamental for a CFO.” Today, Alessandro operates with a leadership style built upon two main pillars: clarity in communication and sharing of vision. He believes that a leader should not simply give instructions but rather create an environment where everyone understands the bigger picture, the reasoning behind decisions, and how their individual contribution impacts the organisation’s objectives. To Alessandro, it is essential that each person feels part of a single organism, with both the power and the responsibility to help improve the direction and the speed at with Finarte moves. To ensure that everyone moves in the same direction, Alessandro dedicates time to communicating transparency, explaining In a sector increasingly shaped by internationalisation, regulatory complexity, and agile competition, Finarte stands out as a leading Italian auction house with a rich legacy and a forward-looking strategy. At its heart is Chief Financial Officer Alessandro Consoli, guiding the company with clarity, discipline, and a sharp focus on long-term resilience. Following Alessandro’s recent successes in the Global CFO Excellence Awards, we caught up with the driving force behind Finarte’s financial strategy to learn more about the journey, the mindset, and the milestones that have defined his path to success. F
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