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Parma and the Italian pharmaceutical industry bid farewell to one of the most authoritative entrepreneurs in the sector, Paolo Chiesi, honorary president of the multinational pharma company, founded by his father Giacomo in 1935 and which reached 3 billion euros in revenues last year with over 6,500 employees in 31 countries.
Born in Parma in 1940, graduating in his hometown first in Chemistry in 1964 and then, the following year, in Pharmacy, Paolo Chiesi took the helm of the company together with his brother Alberto in 1966 and has always led the company ever since. Research and Development of the group, reaching fundamental scientific goals in the field of respiratory, neonatal and rare disease therapies.
Author of dozens of patents and publications, he has been awarded several academic awards, such as the honorary degree in Medicine and Surgery, awarded to him in 2010 by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and, in 2019, the honorary degree from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm for its decades-long commitment to the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in premature newborns.
In 2023 he became honorary president of the Chiesi group, with the passage of operational delegations to the third generation of the family. The Chiesi group announces in a note «the passing of the honorary president Dr. Paolo Chiesi, a fundamental pillar of the company whose history he forged , together with his brother Alberto. His presence represented a source of inspiration for all those who had the privilege of collaborating with him, thanks to his extraordinary scientific knowledge and his exceptional humanity. His passing leaves an unfillable void in the lives of those who knew him.”