Raffaele Riva is an Italian businessman and a co-founder of the mobile phone company called H3G, Italy’s biggest Mobile phone operator. The company started in 2003 and has grown to be one of Europe’s largest telecom operators, with over 30 million customers.
Riva and other entrepreneurs, including Enrico Mattei, founded H3G. The company has rapidly grown in 3 years to become Italy’s largest telecommunications operator with more than 20 million customers, thanks to the success of its prepaid brands, H3G Pronto and Super internet.
Riva stepped down as Chairman on December 31st 2005, for undisclosed reasons but remained a board member.
In 2006, following the takeover of H3G by Spanish telecom and media group Telefonica, Raffaele Riva was awarded the Fiorentino d’Or award for “having done more than anyone else to make mobile telephony in Italy and Europe possible.” The award is equivalent to the Nobel prize in economics.
Areas of Interest
Raffaele Riva is a well-known philanthropist. He supports several charities and non-profit organizations through his Foundation PDT (Riva Foundation). The foundation supports causes that aim at preserving the beauty of Italy’s countryside and its historical heritage – through art, literature and architecture projects. In 2008, he founded to support and promote contemporary Italian cinema.
“I wish art and culture never be considered a luxury but an essential element of life – an aim I pursue through my Foundation (PDT). As an Italian entrepreneur, I know culture and art are crucial for the economy before being necessary. Today, many of our most successful companies were born in the crucible of culture.” Riva also supports the Italian Olympic team and is a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Raffaele Riva is also an active member of the national and international business communities such as:
2002 – 2004, President of the Eureka Management Foundation, aims to boost education by creating communication bridges between business and academia to encourage technology transfer.
2006 – 2008 Treasurer of the American Friends of “Cortesia”, an organization which promotes cultural dialogue between Italy and America. Refer to this article for additional information.
More about Riva on https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/raffaele-riva_prs398685/person.shtml