Latest news with #Cavadini
Sydney Morning Herald
19-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The underrated region where Italian lifestyle meets Swiss efficiency
Greetings and farewells – 'Ciao, bella!', 'Ciao, ciao!' – flutter through the carriage, as passengers chat and upcoming stations (Ambri-Piotta, Faido, Lavorgo) flicker on the digital screens. 'Grazie,' says the conductor, scanning my ticket as I glimpse yet another palm tree through the sun-splashed windows. It feels like Italy, but this is actually Switzerland, just not as you know it. Alpine meets Mediterranean vibes in Ticino, the only Swiss canton where Italian is the sole official language, and where pastel-hued villages reflect into sparkling lakes, and snow-drizzled mountains backdrop promenades with immaculately groomed flower beds and inviting al fresco cafe-bars. 'We like to say we have the Italian lifestyle but with Swiss efficiency,' says Michel Cavadini, who meets me as my train – bang on time – pulls into Locarno, a resort town perched by Lake Maggiore, one of the divine bodies of water bordering southern Switzerland and northern Italy. Cavadini grew up here, and after a stint away, he's back as Ticino Tourism's head of foreign markets. While German and French-speaking Swiss know all about Ticino – and its milder temperatures and 2200 hours of annual sunshine, more than Melbourne, apparently – the region is comparatively unknown overseas. Australians, for example, stick mostly to the cities, pistes and railways north of the Gotthard Pass, which separates Ticino from the rest of Switzerland. Once an ordeal to get here – you'd need a mule at least – Swiss engineering prowess has pierced the 2106-metre-high pass with awe-inspiring road and rail tunnels. I've travelled down from Zurich on the slower, scenic Treno Gottardo, which takes over three hours, but faster trains reach Ticino in under two. Coming from Milano Centrale? You'll be in Ticino in just over an hour. You could stay in Lugano, the canton's biggest city (home to a fifth of Ticino's 350,000 population). It sits by Lake Lugano, another mountain-fringed beauty spot shared by Switzerland and Italy. But even lovelier, for me, is Locarno, 30 minutes up the road and with handy public transport for day trips plus links to Ticino's 4000-kilometre-strong network of marked walking trails. One path ascends to the 15th-century sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso, which crowns a crag above my hillside base, Hotel Belvedere Locarno, where rooms have balconies facing Lake Maggiore and eclectic artwork includes vintage posters of the Locarno International Film Festival, an event luring celebrities to town each August. Hollywood-esque blue skies (and 20-degree daytime temperatures) are a feature of my late-March stay when magnolias and camellias bloom in the hotel's gorgeous gardens. There's a cinematic beauty to the shores and cobbled old cores of Locarno and neighbouring Ascona, a quaint former fishing village with lakeside buildings shaded peach, turquoise and canary yellow. Vibrant colours may also entice you into the local gelato parlours. Ticinese and Italian tastebuds are same-same but different. Pasta, pizza, risotto and tiramisu are menu staples alongside regional specialities like polenta, rabbit stew and cicitt di capra (goat sausage). Merlot is Ticino's dominant wine grape, though they make (fruity, floral) white varieties as well as reds.
The Age
19-05-2025
- The Age
The underrated region where Italian lifestyle meets Swiss efficiency
Greetings and farewells – 'Ciao, bella!', 'Ciao, ciao!' – flutter through the carriage, as passengers chat and upcoming stations (Ambri-Piotta, Faido, Lavorgo) flicker on the digital screens. 'Grazie,' says the conductor, scanning my ticket as I glimpse yet another palm tree through the sun-splashed windows. It feels like Italy, but this is actually Switzerland, just not as you know it. Alpine meets Mediterranean vibes in Ticino, the only Swiss canton where Italian is the sole official language, and where pastel-hued villages reflect into sparkling lakes, and snow-drizzled mountains backdrop promenades with immaculately groomed flower beds and inviting al fresco cafe-bars. 'We like to say we have the Italian lifestyle but with Swiss efficiency,' says Michel Cavadini, who meets me as my train – bang on time – pulls into Locarno, a resort town perched by Lake Maggiore, one of the divine bodies of water bordering southern Switzerland and northern Italy. Cavadini grew up here, and after a stint away, he's back as Ticino Tourism's head of foreign markets. While German and French-speaking Swiss know all about Ticino – and its milder temperatures and 2200 hours of annual sunshine, more than Melbourne, apparently – the region is comparatively unknown overseas. Australians, for example, stick mostly to the cities, pistes and railways north of the Gotthard Pass, which separates Ticino from the rest of Switzerland. Once an ordeal to get here – you'd need a mule at least – Swiss engineering prowess has pierced the 2106-metre-high pass with awe-inspiring road and rail tunnels. I've travelled down from Zurich on the slower, scenic Treno Gottardo, which takes over three hours, but faster trains reach Ticino in under two. Coming from Milano Centrale? You'll be in Ticino in just over an hour. You could stay in Lugano, the canton's biggest city (home to a fifth of Ticino's 350,000 population). It sits by Lake Lugano, another mountain-fringed beauty spot shared by Switzerland and Italy. But even lovelier, for me, is Locarno, 30 minutes up the road and with handy public transport for day trips plus links to Ticino's 4000-kilometre-strong network of marked walking trails. One path ascends to the 15th-century sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso, which crowns a crag above my hillside base, Hotel Belvedere Locarno, where rooms have balconies facing Lake Maggiore and eclectic artwork includes vintage posters of the Locarno International Film Festival, an event luring celebrities to town each August. Hollywood-esque blue skies (and 20-degree daytime temperatures) are a feature of my late-March stay when magnolias and camellias bloom in the hotel's gorgeous gardens. There's a cinematic beauty to the shores and cobbled old cores of Locarno and neighbouring Ascona, a quaint former fishing village with lakeside buildings shaded peach, turquoise and canary yellow. Vibrant colours may also entice you into the local gelato parlours. Ticinese and Italian tastebuds are same-same but different. Pasta, pizza, risotto and tiramisu are menu staples alongside regional specialities like polenta, rabbit stew and cicitt di capra (goat sausage). Merlot is Ticino's dominant wine grape, though they make (fruity, floral) white varieties as well as reds.
Associated Press
13-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
WTW appoints Massimo Cavadini as Head of Product, Pricing, Claims and Underwriting for Continental Europe
LONDON, March 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WTW, (NASDAQ:WTW) has appointed Massimo Cavadini as Head of Product, Pricing, Claims and Underwriting for Continental Europe. This newly created position further strengthens WTW's strategy of broadening and deepening its market leading role in insurance analytics. Insurers are experiencing a new wave of data-driven decision making that is transforming the industry, from AI in claims and underwriting to greater sophistication in pricing and portfolio management. Cavadini will be responsible for the technological and personnel expansion of consulting and software solutions in the areas of claims processing, underwriting and data science across all functions. Speaking to his appointment, Cavadini said, 'I am excited about the potential for analytics in insurance. WTW combines great technology with a deep understanding of insurance and a truly global approach. I am thrilled to help our clients make better decisions and execute them faster.' Tammy Richardson, head of Insurance Consulting in EMEA, adds: 'Our market-leading Radar suite already powers some of the largest and most successful insurers in Europe. With its new AI capabilities and Massimo's creativity and expertise, we can make that power accessible to more insurers in more ways.' Cavadini joins from Munich Re, where he headed their Global Insurance Solutions team. He holds a doctorate in astrophysics and has previously held roles across Pricing and Underwritring functions at Allianz and Generali. About Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT) WTW's Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT) business has over 1,200 colleagues operating and capital, improve business performance, and create competitive advantage – by focusing on financial and regulatory reporting, enterprise risk and capital management, M&A and corporate restructuring, products, pricing, business management, and strategy in 35 markets worldwide. ICT is a leading provider of advice, solutions, and software – primarily to the insurance industry. Its consulting services help clients manage risk. About WTW At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk, and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce, and maximize performance. Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you. Learn more at
