Lisa, a Milan native in Rome navigating physics, consulting, and culture

Lisa Benvenuti joined Mashfrog Group in February 2025 as a Project Manager. Her career path is rich and multifaceted: it begins with a degree in Particle Physics, moves through a period in teaching, and later develops within major consulting and IT organizations.

Curious, outgoing, and passionate, Lisa brings to Mashfrog a valuable mix of technical expertise, interpersonal skills, and a warm, genuine approach that helps her build quick and authentic connections with both colleagues and clients.

You have a long professional background: tell us about the key milestones

I graduated in Physics, driven by my passion for astrophysics and by a deep curiosity for everything I didn’t yet know. Studying science gave me a method: rational thinking, analysis, and the ability to break processes down. I started working very young as a high school teacher, but I soon realized that, at that point in time, it wasn’t the right path for me. So I began sending out résumés and—ironically—only IT companies replied: a field I didn’t love at first, but that eventually became my world.

My career began at IBM and continued in a strategic consulting firm that was later acquired by Deloitte, where I grew significantly—especially in client management—working on complex projects in finance, business intelligence, and EPM, and earning my PMP certification as a Project Manager. After many years in consulting, I joined IGT as Head of PMO & Process Optimization.

Over the years, I realized that my strengths are relationship-building, teamwork, and an analytical mindset. These are the foundations on which I’ve built my entire career.

What led you to choose Mashfrog for your next career step, and how have these first months been?

I was looking for a dynamic, stimulating environment that better matched my way of working, and consulting embodies exactly that: variety, continuous growth, and the chance to constantly challenge yourself. Joining Mashfrog has been a positive new beginning for me.

In these first months, I’ve been working mainly with the client FiberCop, so I haven’t had many opportunities yet to meet all my colleagues. But every time we’ve met, I’ve found great openness, warmth, and a very lively atmosphere. I felt comfortable right away, and I’m approaching this new chapter with a lot of enthusiasm.

You’re originally from Milan but have been living in Rome for many years. How have these two cities influenced your personal and professional life?

I’ve been living in Rome since 1997. At the time, I was working at IBM, and my manager suggested that I move to Rome, believing I would find the right space there to express myself and build my career.

And that’s exactly what happened. My first client in Rome was TIM, and from there many important opportunities followed. Even in my personal life, Rome marked a pivotal transition: my husband is Roman and, after seven years of a long-distance relationship, moving here gave us the chance to finally start our life together.
In short, Milan gave me my foundation, and Rome gave me my future: it’s the city where I truly grew—both as a person and as a professional.

Do you have a personal passion that you feel also enriches you professionally?

Absolutely! One of my greatest passions is wine—so much so that a few years ago, I earned my third-level sommelier certification. I chose to explore the world of wine because, having always worked in finance and information systems, I felt the need for something warmer, something closer to my humanistic side. I love philosophy, theater, and books; wine—with its history, culture, traditions, and deep connection to the land—felt like the perfect way to bring those interests together.

The course was fascinating not only from a technical standpoint but also from a cultural one. It wasn’t just about tasting—it was about understanding the relationship between food and wine, the history of table settings, the evolution of culinary traditions… an entire world that truly enriches the mind.

Alongside wine, another great passion of mine is travel, which holds enormous value for me. Together with my family, I’ve visited countries that are very different from one another—Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Kenya, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Indonesia—as well as countless European capitals. Traveling opens your mind; it pushes you to observe, listen, and understand new cultures. And all of this, even indirectly, contributes greatly to professional growth too: it sharpens curiosity, adaptability, attention to detail, and the desire to always learn something new.

In the end, both wine and travel hold the same value for me: sharing, culture, and discovery. And that’s exactly what I bring into my work every day.

Looking ahead, what perspectives or goals would you like to pursue in the coming years?

Right now, I feel at peace: I’m doing work I enjoy, in an environment that inspires me, and in balance with who I am today. I don’t feel the need for major changes or new ambitions to chase. I’m good where I am—I wake up happy, I work with enthusiasm, and I have the feeling that I’m exactly in the right place.

Over time, I’ve realized how much balance matters. Between work, family, and commitments, finding a rhythm that makes you feel good makes everything easier. And I think today’s younger generations understand this much more clearly than those before them: the search for real work–life balance isn’t a whim—it’s a true necessity for genuine happiness.

Looking ahead, I’d love to go back to teaching. After so many years in consulting and project management, I feel the desire to give back what I’ve received, perhaps in contexts where support is needed the most. It’s an idea I carry with me, and I see it as a way to give a different kind of meaning to the experience I’ve gained over the years.

In the end, my goal is simple: to keep doing what makes me happy.