24.09.2026

Paola Palazzani moves on

Multitel’s acquisition of Palazzani in May, was formally completed yesterday.

With the deal ‘signed, sealed and delivered’, former chief executive Paola Palazzani has announced her departure from the business that her grandfather founded and her father made famous for its large spider lifts.

In a brief statement, she said: "After 29 years, the time has come to begin a new chapter in my life. Thank you to everyone who has crossed my path."

She has avoided any mention of what she might do next, simply that it is time for a change.

Paola Palazzani was sales director of Palazzani from 1997 until March 2024, when she took over from her father, Davide, as president of the company. Since May of this year she has served as chief executive.

She is also a director of IPAF (International Powered Access Federation).

Following the formal completion yesterday, Multitel group sales and marketing director Roberto Marangoni said: “Integration does not simply mean bringing two product ranges together. It means bringing together and enhancing different skills, experience and areas of specialisation within a shared vision. Over the years, Multitel and Palazzani have built strong and well-recognised identities, and our role will be to help them grow together, providing customers with an increasingly comprehensive structure from a commercial, technical and service perspective.”

“The integration process will gradually be reflected in Palazzani’s visual identity. The brand will retain the elements that ensure its recognisability and continuity, while incorporating selected features characteristic of the Multitel identity in order to make its belonging to the group immediately visible.”

“This will be a measured evolution, designed to create a clear visual connection between the two companies without altering the distinctive personality of the Palazzani brand. The new identity will be introduced progressively across the different areas of the business and communication materials, accompanying the company’s integration into the Multitel group over time.”

Vertikal Comment

If you have worked in a family business for as long as Paola Palazzani has, and much of that time been the public face of the company, it is hard to become a smaller cog in a much bigger machine. For the past six months she has played her part in helping ensure a smooth transition and understandably will not want to ‘be in the way’ as the integration process moves forward.

Very few owners remain with the business once it has been acquired, unless they have an ‘earn out’ clause or have agreed contractually to remain on board. It does depend on the level of ‘integration’ of course. Initially it sounded as though Multitel would run Palazzani at arms length, but more recent actions and statements suggest otherwise, which is understandable.

After 29 years (or even 25!) in a business or industry, the opportunity to do something completely or slightly different is invigorating. Life goes all too fast and the opportunities that it offers are far wider than most people benefit from.

All of us at Vertikal wish Paola a very very happy and rewarding future.