In this regular feature, we sit down with a member of the 2.0 & Partners team, to find out a bit more about who they are, what they do, and how they do it.
In this first edition, we meet 2.0 & Partners, Senior Partner, Brand Scouting, Fashion, Luxury & Hospitality Management, Vittoria Passoni.
Please tell us about your journey to join 2.0 & Partners?
Vittoria: It is now nearly two years since I joined 2.0 & Partners with a focus on brand scouting, fashion, and luxury management and hospitality management. However, in many ways, I feel like I joined the company when my dad (2.0 & Partners Senior Executive Marco Passoni) and Fabio started it 10 years ago. My dad and I have always had a pretty close relationship and he used to tell me everything about work; new ideas, projects, clients, even thought I had nothing to do with it. I guess deep down he always knew one day I would work by his side. However, my career started within the hospitality industry; I worked in different 5-star hotel properties in Dubai, Doha, Barcelona and Milan. Hospitality, fashion and luxury will always be my first loves, and, in these past years I have found incredible similarities with the hospitality industry and global travel retail.
Please outline your role with the company?
Vittoria:I am currently a Senior Partner. Together with the team I take care of our brand clients, while scouting for new ones, that wish to explore or expand within the travel retail industry. Also, as I have a strong hospitality background, I am trying to give a different perspective about the way airports are perceived by passengers. There are a lot of common aspects when talking about customers experience or, guests experience – this is my pet project, so let’s talk about it once ready.
What do you think makes travel retail such a special marketplace?
Vittoria:I think being surrounded by people of different nationalities from all over the world. Travel retail is a crazy melting pot of people and being part of it is incredible. Now that I am not “the new one“ anymore, when I go to events like Cannes for example, I find it very exciting walking in the street and meeting people that have travelled from everywhere, it’s like being in a hotel. When you work with people from a different place than yours, you need to understand their culture, their speaking behaviour, and so many more aspects of life that may be different from yours; I think having the capability to understand all of this and work in such environment is the most special thing about this industry.
What have been the highlights of your time with 2.0 & Partners?
Vittoria: As cliché as it may sounds, being able to virtually sit next to my father and see him performing. We have a very similar personality and this is not always good, sometimes we clash, but too be honest, he is always right (most of the time). Fabio and my dad are a great duo, when one doesn’t get somewhere, you can be sure the other one does. I have learned a lot during these years and I am very excited to see where the future will take us.
What does a normal day look like for you with the company?
Vittoria: Some people are not fans of working remotely but I personally love it. I normally wake up around 7.30 so I have time to have breakfast and get ready for the day. As the team is spread around the world, obviously we don’t have an office where we meet, so we try to stay connected via Zoom calls with ourselves and of course, with partners. The majority of my day is taken by my daily activities such as brand scouting and calls,.. but I always try to find time to work-out during the day, for me it’s too important and keeps my brain active and fresh.
What are your hopes for the business in 2025?
Vittoria: I am Italian and like all Italians, I am superstitious; I can’t tell you my hopes otherwise it’s going to be bad luck. But what I can say is that I hope 2.0 & Partners will keep growing, as it has througout all these years of activity. We work in a very fluctuating industry, so we really never know what will happen tomorrow, but this small but strong company has epitomised for me the most cliché saying of “Never give up. Because the moment you are ready to quit, is often the moment right before success happens”.
You can contact Vittoria at vittoria.passoni@20partners.com