- More than 400 European entrepreneurs, managers and investors gather at Palazzo Mezzanotte for ELITE’s annual think tank, part of the Euronext Group
- The focus of the meeting: competitiveness and business growth in a constantly evolving global context
- Over 2,100 companies and 200 partners in Europe are part of ELITE
ELITE, the Euronext ecosystem that supports small and medium-sized enterprises in their growth journeys and in accessing private and public capital markets, meets today in Milan, at Palazzo Mezzanotte, for the seventh edition of ELITE Day.
‘Unstable World. Unstoppable Business.’, the theme chosen for the 2026 edition, will highlight how the current evolution of the macroeconomic scenario, supply chain transformations and technological acceleration are redefining the environment in which businesses operate, compete and finance their growth, generating new opportunities and fostering innovation and development paths. Rethinking supply chains, strengthening industrial and technological autonomy, evaluating new markets and funding sources, and including AI and data in corporate strategy will be some of the core topics of discussion.
In this context, growth is influenced by a combination of industrial choices, access to capital, innovation and the quality of leadership. These are precisely the topics that will structure ELITE Day, which will encourage an analysis of the real economy from the perspective of entrepreneurs, investors and market operators.
For European businesses, growth is conditioned by the combination of industrial choices, access to capital, innovation and leadership quality. ELITE Day will be structured around these very topics, facilitating an analysis of the real economy through the perspective of entrepreneurs, investors and market operators.
Following welcoming remarks from Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE - Euronext Group, and the opening speech by Luca Pancaldi, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, several speakers will enrich the day's programme with their insights: Mari Daskalantonakis, CEO and Managing Director of Grecotel; Nicola Anzivino, Partner at BDO Italy; Dimitris Parthenis, Group CFO of THEON International; Fabrizio Testa, CEO of Borsa Italiana - Euronext; Rita Nabeiro, Executive Board Member of Grupo Nabeiro; Rina Guerra, Head of Portugal at ELITE - Euronext Group; Alessandro Boglione, CEO of BasicNet; Luca Peyrano, CEO of CERVED; Alessandro Solina and Massimo Mazzini, respectively Deputy General Manager & Chief Investment Officer and Deputy General Manager & Head of Marketing and Business Development at Eurizon Capital SGR.
With the integration of Euronext Athens into the Group, ELITE is expanding its European platform to support more businesses, announcing its official launch in Greece for 2027. Hellenic companies will thus be able to join a pan-European network that offers strategic expertise, managerial training, access to qualified relationships and capital-raising opportunities on private and public markets.
Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE – Euronext Group, stated: "In an economic and financial context characterised by increasingly rapid transformations, growing does not only mean knowing how to seize new opportunities, but also developing the ability to adapt, innovate and look to the long term. This is the trait shared by 'Unstoppable Businesses': companies that face change with vision, resilience and ambition, transforming it into an engine for growth. ELITE's mission is to build a bridge between businesses, capital and skills, fostering the sustainable growth of companies and strengthening the European entrepreneurial fabric. The extension of the programme to Greece also fits into this perspective, representing a further step in ELITE's pan-European growth journey. Thanks to the collaboration with local partners, we want to help support a new generation of Greek companies in their paths towards growth, internationalisation and long-term value creation".
Link to the programme: ELITE DAY 2026
ELITE in numbers: ELITE today brings together over 2,100 companies and 200 partners and stakeholders in Europe. ELITE companies generate €230 billion in aggregate turnover and represent 36 different sectors across 24 European countries. ELITE provides support to private companies to accelerate their growth, helping them access private and public capital: 71 companies have listed, raising more than €5 billion; 156 have issued 221 corporate bonds for a total value of €2.4 billion; and 611 have carried out nearly 2,000 merger and acquisition activities, totalling €63 billion.
The event is supported by Gold Sponsors BDO Italia, Cerved, McKinsey & Company, and Silver Sponsors Azimut Capital Management, Marex, Tinexta Innovation Hub, Vianova and W Executive. Edelman, Aimo e Nadia and STS Communication support the event as Technical Sponsors.
