Elena Gelosa
Elena Gelosa is a corporate marketing and nonprofit executive who, as of October 2026, is senior vice president for the Bellagio program at The Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation headquartered in New York City. It was chartered by New York State legislation in 1913 with funding from Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, with the mission “to promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world.” In its early years it funded global public health, medical education, and yellow fever vaccine research; in the mid-20th century it supported agricultural programs that came to be known as the “Green Revolution”; and in recent years it has focused its work on energy, health, food, and climate.Open the full entry, leading the foundation’s Bellagio Center on Lake Como in northern Italy and serving as the foundation’s representative in Italy. She previously worked in the corporate sector for more than 25 years before moving to alumni work at her alma mater, Bocconi University.
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Key facts
Early Years: Corporate and Consulting Career
Gelosa spent many years in strategy consulting and at private companies across several industries, working at Manpower Group, Focus MGMT, IBM and UNISYS, where she was responsible for business transformation and for maintaining relationships with international stakeholders across industries. Her senior positions included marketing director at ManpowerGroup and partner for retail and consumer products at IBM, and her strengths lie in business development and sales growth.[1][2][1][1]
Early Years: Moving to Alumni Work at Her Alma Mater, Bocconi University
Gelosa later decided to shift the focus of her career to the nonprofit sector, spending six years at Bocconi University as director of alumni and fundraising (also styled Director of Alumni Community), leading a global alumni network spanning 45 countries with 75 chapters and 12 thematic groups, on topics including sustainability, digital and innovation, and governance. At Bocconi, she also served as leader of the marketing thematic group and as a board member of the alumni organization.[1][1][2][2][2]
July 27, 2023Appointed Head of the Bellagio Center
On July 27, 2023, The Rockefeller Foundation announced that Gelosa would become vice president of the Bellagio Center, overseeing all of the center’s strategy and operations. She succeeded Pilar Palaciá, who had led the center for 18 years and worked at the foundation for more than 30 years, becoming the eighth head of the center since it opened in 1959. The foundation’s chief operating officer, Natalye Paquin, described her as “a proven leader and natural connector.”[2][2][2][2][2]
Gelosa said she would work to strengthen the Bellagio Center and to harness its unique convening power to create a better future for all.[2]
September 2023Taking Up the Post
Current Role
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
The Rockefeller Foundation: Official website: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/ (opens in a new window).[1]