Paolo Aversa, Professor of Strategy at King’s Business School has been awarded the Knighthood ‘Order of the Star of Italy’ at a ceremony at the Italian Consul’s residence in London. The Order honours Italians abroad who have excelled in the promotion of national prestige, fostering friendly relations and co-operation with other countries and ties with Italy.
Professor Aversa is a leading academic expert on innovation and strategy in motorsport and Formula 1, where Italy and the United Kingdom are widely regarded as global leaders. He was one of the first Italians to appear on international business school magazine Poets and Quants ‘Top 40 under 40’ list.
Professor Aversa’s ‘Star of Italy’ award also recognises his use of his skills and knowledge to support the wider community. During the COVID pandemic he volunteered with “Task Force Italia” to develop a national strategic resilience plan and worked with the Consulate General of Italy to provide coaching and skills development support for Italians in the UK who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. He also worked with the Polytechnic University of Milan and the CRUI Foundation to create a free online module to help Italian university instructors manage the abrupt transition to online teaching.