Marco Maria Durante
Marco Maria Durante (born March 24, 1962) is an Italian best selling author, entrepreneur, media strategist, and university lecturer. He is the founder, CEO, and President of LaPresse SpA, an international multimedia news agency. Durante has established LaPresse SpA as a prominent player in both Italian and international media over the past three decades.[1]
Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]
Marco Maria Durante was born in Turin and raised between Italy and New York. His father, Silvio Durante, founded the historic photojournalism agency Publifoto Turin. Durante attended the scientific high school Sacra Famiglia in Turin and later earned a degree in motor sciences from ISEF (Istituto Superiore di Educazione Fisica) in 1988. During his time teaching at ISEF in France, he studied sports disciplines at Université Claude Bernard Lyon.[2]
Durante's passion for sports led him to coach swimming in Turin, where he worked with Corrado Rosso at Libertas SAFA, achieving success in advancing the team to the first division from Serie C. Additionally, Durante was a midfielder for the youth team of Torino F.C.
In 2013, Durante earned a first-level master's qualification in criminology and forensic law in Naples. In 2015, he graduated with honors in law, specializing in tax law. In 2020, he obtained a Certificate in Corporate Finance from NYU Stern School of Business in New York, and in 2021, he completed the Coursera Certificate in Financial Markets at Yale University.[3]
Career[edit | edit source]
LaPresse SpA[edit | edit source]
In 1992, Durante began his career by collaborating with Publifoto Torino, his father's photo agency. In 1994, he and his brother, Massimo Maria Durante, founded LaPresse SpA. Initially a photographic agency, LaPresse SpA expanded into video news, press agency services, celebrity management, and television productions. The company has since grown into a significant player in the media industry, with offices in the United States, Spain, and Portugal, as well as ten locations across Italy.
In 1996, Durante's brother Massimo passed away in a car accident, and Durante continued to lead the company, overseeing its transformation into a public limited company in 2006. Under his leadership, LaPresse became the exclusive Italian partner for major international content providers such as Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
LaPresse has also worked with prominent football clubs, including Juventus FC, AC Milan, AS Roma, and Torino FC, providing official agency services and managing broadcasting channels such as Juventus Channel and Milan Channel.[4]
In 2023, Durante launched an international expansion plan for LaPresse, which included the distribution of content in Spain and Latin America. He also assumed the role of CEO and President, managing operations from LaPresse's New York headquarters.
LaPresse Nuoto Torino[edit | edit source]
In 2005, Durante founded LaPresse Nuoto Torino, a swimming club based in Turin. Under his leadership as chairman, the club achieved success and attracted international athletes, including French swimmer Laure Manadou, who joined the team in 2007. Following a dispute with Manadou's entourage, Durante dissolved the team and released the athletes from their contracts.
Academia[edit | edit source]
Durante has held academic positions, teaching business communication strategies at Pegaso Telematic University and media and communications at Universitas Mercatorum.
Awards and Recognitions[edit | edit source]
Durante has received several awards throughout his career, including:
- The Global Fellowship from LUISS University in September 2021.
- An award from Learn Italy in May 2022.
- The "Best Italian Entrepreneur in the United States of America" award at the 2023 Business Care International Award ceremony in New York.
In 2023, a docufilm produced by LaPresse on Gianni Agnelli won the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary.
Personal Life[edit | edit source]
Durante lives between Milan and New York. He is married to Thea Aprea, and they have three children: Vittoria, Edoardo, and Ginevra. His eldest daughter, Vittoria, graduated in marketing and media from Southern Utah University in the United States.
Durante is an accomplished athlete, having competed in marathons, tennis tournaments, and swimming events.
External links[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://www.lavocedeigiornalisti.com/giornali-e-giornalisti/il-presidente-di-lapresse-marco-durante-vince-il-premio-come-miglior-imprenditore-italiano-negli-stati-uniti-damerica/
- ↑ https://www.citybiz.co/article/485154/dr-marco-maria-durante-founder-of-lapresse-honored-as-best-italian-entrepreneur-in-u-s-at-consulate-general-of-italy-in-new-york-city/
- ↑ https://www.primaonline.it/2023/10/13/391104/marco-maria-durante-fondatore-de-lapresse-premiato-come-miglior-imprenditore-italiano-negli-usa/
- ↑ https://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it/tgcomlab/editoria-marco-maria-durante-la-presse-miglior-imprenditore-usa_71278748-202302k.shtml