The rubber industry is a crucial sector that supports a wide range of applications, from automotive to industrial machinery. This industry is known for its innovation in developing materials that enhance durability, flexibility, and performance. Companies within this sector are constantly progressing to meet the demands of various markets, ensuring that their products are both high-quality and sustainable. The rubber industry plays a crucial role in the global economy, providing essential components that drive numerous industries forward.
Marcella Bergamini, serving as the President and Chief Growth Officer of Isopren, a historical Italian SME, is a key figure in this industry. Her leadership is marked by a strategic vision and a deep commitment to innovation. Marcella is known for her ability to integrate new talents and drive growth within her organization. Her approach to leadership highlights the importance of challenging the status quo and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Marcella’s dedication to excellence and her ability to inspire her team have significantly shaped the industry, setting new standards for quality and performance.
Isopren srl is renowned for its innovative products and commitment to sustainability. With a focus on cost control, marketing, and communication, Isopren continues to expand its market presence and enhance its product offerings. The company’s dedication to excellence and its strategic approach to growth ensure that it remains at the forefront of the industry, providing high-quality solutions to its clients.
From Media to Manufacturing: A Strategic Career Shift
Marcella’s career has transitioned progressively. After 16 years as Media Group Director of a Multinational Company (Danone), she started working in Isopren part-time and focusing her support on communication, media, and marketing, which she evaluates as strategic levers of positioning, distinctiveness, and growth. Marcella started meeting her clients (about 200) to better understand their needs and transformed the company’s approach from a mostly reactive one to a proactive one, applying the Win-Win strategy for long-term partnerships.
Strengthening Client and Supplier Partnerships
As President and Chief Growth Officer of Isopren, Marcella prioritizes a wide range of products and clients of Isopren on which the company wants to put its best efforts in terms of innovation, production process, and sales strategy. She is also responsible for developing strong partnerships with clients, suppliers, and category associations.
Marcella is accountable for building a unique team with an appropriate allocation of responsibilities, regularly sharing Isopren’s goals and performance with its employers to have them always on board, trying to meet their needs, and providing ad hoc training both on technical skills and soft skills, not forgetting to reward the best.
To ensure Isopren continues to excel in the rubber market, Marcella drives innovation and development in its proprietary rubber compounds. Marcella integrates new talents and technical skills with Isopren’s experienced employers, trying to find the best mix between tradition and innovation, strengthening the desire to be best in class in every action, and the willingness for continuous improvement.
Driving Teams towards Distinctiveness and Excellence
To describe her leadership style, Marcella shared, “I’m a decision maker, committed, passionate, and resilient. My ambition is to be able to inspire the teams, empower them, and foster creativity; however, I have tough leadership when the worker performs poorly,” she added.
Marcella’s motto, ‘keep them challenged and let them challenge you,’ has highly influenced her approach to pushing and loving to be pushed towards distinctiveness and excellence. Remembering an incident, Marcella shared some advice given by her first boss: “Remember, you have done great work today, but it’s not enough for you; your limit is the sky; you can do much better, and I’ll continue to demand more from you.”
Fostering Team Growth through Mentorship
Marcella has a strong belief in mentorship. She shares, “My career has developed because of my mentors.” “For that reason, I foster the growth of my team through a mentoring and coaching program, followed by a specialized company, Humantek.”
In addition, Marcella highlights ‘reverse mentoring’ where the young generation shares their knowledge and experiences of technology with the seniors, promoting digital literacy.
Managing diverse responsibilities with passion
Marcella shares, “Media and communication are my passion and my way to feed my creativity, so I find every day the time to support Danone and Straumann.” The great result of her consultancy is the opportunity to follow the evolution of best-in-class companies, keeping useful learnings for her family management company. The last example is the extraordinary work done by Danone on sustainability and gender equality. Marcella took some ideas for Isopren, and the company succeeded in receiving the gender equality certification, which is a great achievement for SMEs!
Leveraging Media Expertise for Strategic Growth
Marcella asks herself every day how she can incorporate her extensive experience in media strategy and marketing into the growth and innovation strategies at Isopren and put efforts into adapting her learnings into the new reality. She pitches and manages tenders with international clients for the supply of Isopren’s rubber products. She shares, “The rules are the same as a media pitch, and it’s very exciting to have the opportunity to adapt learnings and procedures in a different background.”
Leading the Industry with Innovation towards Focusing on 3 Key Sectors
Marcella emphasizes the importance of a thorough understanding of industry trends, consumer habits, and competitor activities. By meticulously studying these elements, Isopren can develop a robust Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that distinguishes the company in the market. Marcella believes, “Effectively communicating the company’s achievements is crucial in maintaining a proactive and responsive approach to industry developments.” This commitment to continuous improvement is a hallmark of Isopren’s leadership in the sector. Through strategic analysis and innovative practices, Marcella ensures Isopren remains at the forefront of the industry, consistently delivering value to its clients and stakeholders.
The strategy is to focus mainly on 3 added-value products: rubber expansion joints for the naval & defense sector, sheave liners for cableway installations and wheels for snow groomers; stators and rubber compounds for the food industry according to the positive and evolving trend of these sectors.
An Approach to Work-Life Balance
Marcella feels lucky, as she loves to do her job and her well-being as well. She shares, “It’s very exciting for me to work really hard scheduling at the same time a trip to exotic countries with my family and friends and a long weekend to play golf.” She adores a moment when she has breakfast with her family—especially spending time with her son Alessandro. Marcella sacrifices some hours of sleep time to maintain balance and always takes time for a walk with her black and inseparable poodle, Goccia.
Marcella highlights, “My ambition is to achieve great results for Isopren, Danone, and Straumann and also for my golf tournaments!”
Leadership Insights for Aspiring Leaders
Marcella advises aspiring leaders to make a meaningful impact and pursue their passions with dedication. She acknowledges that while extensive experience in a particular market is crucial, the ability to embrace new ideas and approaches—what she refers to as “contamination” and “discontinuity”—is equally important. Marcella encourages leaders to step out of their comfort zones and view challenges from different perspectives. This willingness to explore new angles can serve as a powerful motivator, driving innovation and personal growth. Marcella’s insights highlight the importance of courage and adaptability in achieving success across various industries and roles.
Preparing for the Future
Marcella envisions a future marked by sustainable and consistent growth for the company. She takes pride in the impressive financial and economic performance of Isopren, highlighted by the acceleration in annual turnover, which reached €7 million in 2023. Marcella emphasizes the importance of understanding the key factors behind this success to prepare Isopren for the next phase of growth.
To achieve this vision, Marcella is committed to integrating new talents and innovative strategies. She believes that bringing in new perspectives and skills is essential for maintaining the company’s competitive edge. Marcella’s son, Alessandro, plays a crucial role in supporting the evolution of Isopren, and she expresses her hope that he will be ready in a few years to continue the journey and contribute to the company’s ongoing success.
