A mix of enthusiasm, books and sports:
Roberta tells us a little about herself

Tell us about your job in ProntoPack: what does it consist of?

I have been working in ProntoPack for a year and a half as an internal sales. My role previously was pure commercial customer service, which involved order management and after-sales service. The continuous evolution of the market and a series of organizational and structural changes within the company, have necessarily led the Management to transform and evolve this role: the entire sales department is currently engaged in continuous training to strengthen commercial knowledge and take on an increasingly active and conscious role in sales. The job description was then revised and expanded, incorporating activities increasingly oriented towards development and commercial expansion.

What do you appreciate most about working at ProntoPack?

In ProntoPack I found a totally different environment compared to what I experienced in the previous 18 working years. We work in a serene and familiar environment, despite all the daily difficulties we have had to face in recent months.

Right from the start, I perceived a climate of respect, collaboration and trust that, unfortunately, are not so obvious in 2022. I often think that ProntoPack is a company of women and for women: we have the opportunity to working from home with flexibility of schedules, favoring and facilitating the management of the family routine.

The commercial area is composed exclusively of women and, for the first time, I have never noticed that competition, often unfair, that arises from the desire to prevaricate.

In addition, there are many women who have leading positions within the company, something that does not happen very often to see even in larger realities.

What do you like most about the cardboard industry?

When I arrived at ProntoPack, I had absolutely no knowledge of the industry.

As a book lover, for me paper has always been associated with the printed pages of a book or the coated paper of magazines. Also, coming from production companies, cardboard was simply something related to industrial packaging and logistics, while cardboard was something not well identified, in my head mainly linked to creative activities. Over the months, I have realized that we are actually so used to having cardboard available, as end users, that we do not even realize that we are large consumers, in all sectors.

For me it was therefore very interesting to discover that there are many types and that there are many sectors of use: one of the phrases that struck me immediately was “the right board for the right purpose“.

In a moment of scarcity of raw material, I perceived the difficulties of customers and their concern about not being able to complete their work due to lack of the right cardboard; I found myself imagining what would happen in the entire production and logistics chain if there were not the packaging elements that are fundamental for the distribution of any good.

As a consumer I had already appreciated the distancing from plastic in the food and beverage sector, which has proved to be fundamental during these last years in which, due to the pandemic, the consumption of takeaway food and drinks has increased exponentially. Working here I also discovered that cardboard is compostable and that paper mills have  very serious sustainability projects, to protect the environment.

You said you’re a book lover: what’s the secret to always carving out time to read?

I love reading, since before I know how to read! I am always ready to stay awake all night for a great book and I tried to pass on my passion to my son, establishing with him a family tradition in bed: reading a few pages before going to sleep and, on Sunday morning, devote at least half an hour to reading under the covers.

During a trip at primary school we visited the wonderful Angelo Maj Library in Bergamo, in the Upper Town, and I remember swearing to myself that I would live in this city and so I did: I lived there my university years and my thesis was dedicated to books, e-books, digital libraries and virtual libraries.

I like to read in the original language, I love the stalls of used books and when I come back from a trip, my suitcase weighs more!

For me, the beauty of a book, like any other work of art (be it painting, sculpture, music or other forms of creativity) consists in giving the user the opportunity to recognize himself in the words of others, to discover something of himself in the imagination of others, regardless of the original meaning of the author.

At this point we must ask you this: would you recommend some books that we cannot fail to read?

Among my favorite books I would list Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margaret”, Rushdie’s “The Children of Midnight”, Mann’s “The Enchanted Mountain”, and Hesse’s “Demian”, for me the coming-of-age novel par excellence, which marked my adolescence.

If you want to discover my favorite poem… you know where to find me, I don’t want to bore you!

Apart from the great love for reading, do you have other passions for leisure?

Since I was a child, in my free time I have always practiced sports trying various disciplines: karate, skiing, ski mountaineering, running, cycling and, recently, I tried kayaking and canoeing. Looking back, I missed perhaps the experience of a team sport, but for me doing outdoor sports is a moment of total relaxation and being alone in the middle of nature allows me to rebalance and vent, eliminating tensions.

Now I am sharing sports experiences with my son, who’s almost 9 years old and who’s always curious to face new adventures. It is a satisfaction for me to see him always enthusiastic and ready to work.

Thanks Roberta! Before letting you go, we ask you for one last pill of wisdom!

I like to remind myself often that, in addition to a pinch of healthy madness, in life you need to have the ability to question yourself, the humility to recognize mistakes, the will to always improve, the courage to change when things do not go in the right direction and the strength to face difficulties without ever giving up!