Starting from October 1, 2024, Mario Sommariva will officially assume the role of chairman of the Spinelli Group. The Genoese company confirmed the appointment, noting that it was made by the shareholders' assembly, comprised of Spininvest and Hapag-Lloyd. The company’s statement emphasized that “the appointment of such a highly respected professional in the sector, with competence and integrity universally recognized, like Dr. Sommariva, demonstrates the firm commitment of both shareholders to continue along the path of steady growth undertaken by the Group, while increasingly enhancing the great entrepreneurial work carried out so far.”
Sommariva transitions from the Eastern Ligurian Sea Port Authority, from which he resigned in mid-September 2024, to the presidency of the Spinelli Group. Before taking over at the Port of La Spezia, Sommariva served as the Secretary General of the Port of Trieste and, prior to that, held two terms as President of the Bari Port Authority, from 2014 to 2017. His notable contributions include involvement in drafting the 1994 Ports Law and the 1998 Law establishing the International Register.
Sommariva succeeds Giovanni Benedetti, who had stepped in to replace Aldo Spinelli on May 13, 2024, after Spinelli was placed under house arrest as part of a corruption investigation that also implicated the President of the Liguria Region, Giovanni Toti, and the former President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini. All individuals involved have requested plea bargains.
Sommariva's decision has surprised some in the port industry, who had expected him to transition to a public sector company. However, he is not the only port authority president to move into a private enterprise leadership role. A few weeks earlier, Zeno D’Agostino, after leaving the Port of Trieste on June 1, 2024, became chairman of Technital three months later. An earlier precedent occurred in 2017 when Luigi Merlo moved from Palazzo San Giorgio, the headquarters of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, to MSC, where he became head of institutional relations.
This trend, often referred to as the "revolving door" phenomenon, involves high-ranking officials transitioning from leading public institutions or companies to top positions in private firms, often operating in the same sector. In Merlo’s case, in 2018, the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) opposed his move to MSC, issuing a reprimand, a decision upheld by the Council of State in 2019. Law 165 of 2001 mandates that such transitions should only occur after a three-year gap following departure from a public entity. Whether the Authority will assess D'Agostino and Sommariva's situations remains to be seen.
