Water Polo, BBQ and Business Intelligence: Stefano’s Challenges

He loves challenges and teamwork. He has traveled across Italy for study and work, never abandoning a passion inherited from his father, Saro, when he was a child. Stefano, born in Syracuse and adopted by Rome, is Head of AI Data Platform at Mashfrog Solutions. His journey into Business Intelligence began at university, when the field was still pioneering, and today he is embracing the AI revolution. As he says, “I like challenges, both inside and outside work,” and “it’s not enough for me to know that something is done in a certain way, I want to understand why.”

You joined Mashfrog with an already well-established senior profile. What was your journey?

At 18, I chose to leave my hometown, Syracuse, and move to Pisa to study Computer Science, looking for an experience away from home but in a city that still felt manageable and welcoming. During university, I became interested in Business Intelligence topics—at the time still very pioneering, in the early 2000s. I chose a specialization in “Computer Science for Economics and Business” and complemented my degree with a dedicated master’s program. Being curious, enjoying challenges, and trying to understand how the job market was evolving, I discovered the SAP world even before writing my thesis. I started a specialization course in Rome on SAP BW, sponsored by a company where I later completed my thesis and eventually got hired. Thanks to my academic preparation, I graduated at the top of the course. After about six years, I joined Reply for a new challenge: building a Business Intelligence area on SAP from scratch. By the time I left, it had become a structured Business Unit with more than 40 people.

So, challenge after challenge, you eventually arrived at Mashfrog?

I was looking for something new to build. That’s when Mashfrog came along. What struck me was finding a dynamic, evolving environment with a strong desire to grow and experiment. It’s a dimension that feels very much my own: I like challenges, both inside and outside work. Whenever I see a new project, I tend to dive into it headfirst.

Today you are Head of AI Data Platform at Mashfrog Solutions. Is that a confirmation of your inclination toward innovation?

Yes, although I haven’t abandoned SAP and Business Intelligence, quite the opposite. In recent years, I’ve devoted a lot of time to exploring artificial intelligence, especially to understand how it can concretely improve the way we work, provided we learn how to use it properly and responsibly. For me, it’s a bit like driving a Ferrari: if you don’t know how to handle it, you risk crashing; if you learn to manage it, you can truly make a difference. At Mashfrog, I also collaborate with the AI team led by Andrea Montemaggio, overseeing some projects as Project Manager. I approach it with humility, eager to learn and work as part of a team. These are two aspects I consider essential: building relationships, encouraging discussion, and creating cohesion among people are what allow us to tackle even the most complex challenges and difficult moments.

Love of challenges and teamwork. These are concepts associated with sports. Is sport one of your worlds?

I played competitive water polo and I still play today. My position is center forward, which is more or less the player who “takes the most hits.” Since I started at the age of 10, I learned early on what it means to endure, make sacrifices, and work for the team.

Is water polo your main passion outside work?

I have many passions - I’m a curious person. And then I have a family I love spending time with: my wife Nunzia and my children, Ivano, who is four years old, and Siria, who is nine months old. Water polo is a “disease” I inherited from my father Saro, who was a goalkeeper for Ortigia in Syracuse and helped the club move from Serie B to Serie A. I followed his example and his passion, experiencing incredible moments: finals, two second-place finishes at the national level, training camps with the national team, and even a few appearances in Serie A. Later, I chose to prioritize my studies and professional future, but I never abandoned water polo. Wherever I went - Pisa, Livorno, Viareggio, or Rome - the first thing I did was look for a team. And today I still compete in Masters championships. Every year I say, “That’s enough,” but then I end up doing it all over again.

What other passions has your curiosity led you to discover?

Curiosity has always accompanied me in everything I do, both inside and outside work. Even in my personal interests, I have a very analytical approach: it’s not enough for me to know that something is done in a certain way, I want to understand why.
Cooking, for example, has always been part of my life. As a teenager, I helped out at home and enjoyed experimenting with desserts and recipes. Then, while living alone in Pisa and later in Rome, this passion grew more and more.

I became fascinated by barbecue and low-temperature cooking techniques. During the COVID period, I started seriously studying the world of pizza-making. The beginning was marked by inedible doughs, but that’s exactly when the desire to understand my mistakes, improve, and study kicked in. Now my wife says there’s no longer any point in going out for pizza.

Then there’s my passion for gin, which also started out of curiosity. A Sicilian gin I tasted almost by chance sparked a genuine journey of research involving study, tastings, and the discovery of craft products from all over the world.

Passion and discipline. Can these two extremes coexist?

They have to coexist, because on their own they lead nowhere. It’s a balance I learned from an early age from my father Saro, who has always been my role model professionally, athletically, and personally. If I’m going to do something, I need to understand the reason behind it and fully commit myself to it. I believe that both work and personal passions should always be approached with seriousness and method. After all, passions do not simply “fill” our free time, they complete our lives.