IT Strategy & Enterprise Architecture
IT roadmaps, group application architecture and business–IT alignment. Partnering with the CIO on the long-term vision and turning it into a plan top management can share.
Senior IT Executive · CIO-level IT leadership · Milan Senior IT Executive · Milan
Paolo Crespi
Technology leadership for complex, regulated businesses.
IT Strategy · Governance · Enterprise Architecture · Digital Transformation
26+ years across banking, financial services, payments and digital media. Currently IT Governance Director at Italiaonline, governing a ~€35M technology portfolio.
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26+Years in IT18 in senior leadership
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~€35MIT portfolio under governance~€11M capex · ~€24M opex · Italiaonline
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~30People led across 3 offices~€18M IT budget · Mooney
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€26MOperating budget23 people · 4 offices · Mediobanca
Sectors
- Banking & Capital Markets
- Payments & Fintech
- Insurance
- Media & Online
01 — Executive profile
Where strategy meets execution
I am a senior IT executive with 26+ years in technology, the last 18 in leadership roles reporting to the CIO or to top management, across banking, capital markets, payments and digital media — most of it in complex, regulated environments.
I set IT strategy and enterprise architecture, build the governance, portfolio and demand-management disciplines that let large IT organisations scale, and own the financial side: capex/opex planning, procurement, outsourcing oversight and cost optimisation. I have led teams of up to 30 people across up to four offices and budgets up to €26M, and delivered the programmes behind digital transformation, from trading platforms and bank integrations to cloud, open banking and AI governance.
My work sits where technology meets the business: translating objectives into an IT plan top management can share, then delivering it. I am ready for a CIO mandate or a Head of IT Governance role.
02 — Areas of leadership
Business, governance and technology in one accountability
Described in terms of what I have run, not self-assessed scores.
IT Governance & Portfolio Management
Governance frameworks, internal control systems and KPIs; demand and portfolio management; oversight of critical projects against time, budget and quality.
Technology Risk, Cybersecurity & Compliance
ICT risk management, DORA gap analysis and remediation, Bank of Italy/EBA rules on ICT risk and outsourcing, COBIT 5 and ITGC, GDPR. Reporting to Boards and Internal Audit.
Digital Transformation & Technology Modernisation
Cloud and hybrid infrastructure, open API and open banking, RPA, blockchain (Corda R3), front-to-back trading platforms (Murex), post-merger system integration and process automation.
AI & Data Governance
Governing the group's AI/GenAI initiatives at Italiaonline — use cases, priorities and roadmap — on top of data governance. Earlier, the AI/ML, big-data and analytics offering built at Exprivia.
Financial & Vendor Management
Capex/opex budgeting and forecasting, IT procurement and contract negotiation, outsourcing governance (SLAs, registers, third-party risk) and measurable cost optimisation.
People & Organisational Leadership
Teams of up to 30 people across up to four offices and budgets up to €26M. Leadership, negotiation and conflict-resolution training at SDA Bocconi.
03 — Selected impact
Documented outcomes, not adjectives
Italiaonline · governance at group scale · 2024 — today
~€35M portfolio under governance
IT governance framework, internal controls and KPIs for the group; budget guidelines, group IT budget generation and periodic forecasting across ~€11M capex and ~€24M opex, with a team of 10+ and oversight of the AI/GenAI roadmap.
Mooney · regulatory readiness · 2021 — 2024
DORA gap analysis and remediation plan delivered
DORA gap analysis and remediation plan for an e-money institution supervised by the Bank of Italy, with ICT risk reporting to the Board, Internal Audit follow-up and support to supervisory inspections — leading ~30 people across 3 offices and a ~€18M IT budget.
Mediobanca · cost optimisation · 2008 — 2016
~€3.9M saved in 3 years
Built and led a dedicated market-data optimisation team covering 250+ terminals, 600+ end users and 200+ products and services, while accountable for a €26M operating budget and a team of 23 across 4 offices.
Intesa Sanpaolo · M&A integration · 2001 — 2008
Two bank integrations delivered
Led the Front Office stream of the Banca Caboto – Banca IMI merger and the Group Treasury integration between Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI, with Murex MxG2000 as the target OTC-derivatives platform.
04 — Career
Twenty-six years across banking, payments and media
From capital-markets IT in investment banks to regulated payments, then Italy's leading internet company: the same governance discipline, applied to wider organisations.
Sep 2024 — today
Milan
IT Governance Director
Italiaonline · reporting to the CIO
Leading a team of 10+, define and run the group's IT governance processes: operational planning, enterprise application architecture, IT cost control and oversight of critical IT projects against time, budget and quality — across ~€11M capex and ~€24M opex.
Responsibilities and impact
- Partner with the CIO on the long-term IT vision; translate business needs into a strategic IT plan shared with top management.
- Define the IT governance framework, internal control systems and KPIs to measure IT performance.
- Set budget guidelines, generate the group IT budget and monitor execution through periodic forecasting.
- Govern the group's AI/GenAI initiatives: use cases, priorities and roadmap.
May 2021 — Aug 2024
Milan
Head of IT Governance & Demand Management
Mooney S.p.A. · reporting to the CIO
Led the IT governance functions — demand and project management, cost and budget monitoring, planning and risk management — across 3 offices, ~30 people and a ~€18M IT budget in an e-money institution supervised by the Bank of Italy.
Responsibilities and impact
- DORA gap analysis and remediation plan; ICT risk assessment and control, with risk reporting to the Board of Directors and follow-up of Internal Audit findings.
- Governance of outsourced ICT providers: contracts, SLAs, outsourcing register and third-party risk assessment.
- Aligned IT strategy with business strategy; agile/lean process management and cross-initiative PMO.
- KPI definition, measurement and reporting; enterprise architecture and data governance.
- IT risk assessment, mitigation and monitoring; compliance adherence.
Sep 2016 — Apr 2021
Milan
Director, Finance Business Unit
Exprivia Group · Head of Offering Development
Head of Offering Development for banking and insurance, focused on digital transformation — big data & analytics, AI/ML, blockchain, open API / open banking, RPA — and end-to-end solution delivery.
Responsibilities and impact
- Developed new value propositions and scouted fintech/insurtech players under an open-innovation model; established strategic partnerships.
- Led the prototyping of a blockchain-based factoring solution on Corda R3.
Jan 2008 — Aug 2016
Milan · London
Director, Head of Front Office IT & Market Data Manager
Mediobanca · within the Group CIO's remit
Leadership and strategic oversight of a team of 23 across 4 offices, accountable for a €26M operating budget covering Front Office applications for investment banking and capital markets, and information providers.
Responsibilities and impact
- Led core programmes: Murex MX3 front-to-back implementation, a new market-risk / collateral / xVA (valuation adjustments) platform, and a centralised market-data database for price validation.
- Delivered ~€3.9M savings over 3 years on market-data management with a dedicated optimisation team (250+ terminals, 600+ users, 200+ products and services).
- Ran procurement, resource allocation, costing, contract negotiation and external reporting; led a continuous QA and architecture-rationalisation programme.
Sep 2001 — Jan 2008
Milan
IT Manager, Head of Murex Desk
Intesa Sanpaolo · Operations Finance Division
Headed a desk delivering core projects for Front Office users and the end-to-end straight-through-processing (STP) chain.
Responsibilities and impact
- Led the Banca Caboto – Banca IMI merger (Front Office stream) and the Group Treasury integration between Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI.
- Delivered the Murex MxG2000 front-to-back platform as the target application for Front/Middle Office OTC derivatives.
Sep 1999 — Aug 2001
Milan
Project Manager
Banca IMI – Sanpaolo IMI Group
Project management in the investment bank of the Sanpaolo IMI group, active in capital markets.
05 — Experience across
Leading organisations in regulated finance, payments and media
Organisations where technology is a licence to operate.
Italiaonline
IT Governance Director · 2024 — today
Mooney
Head of IT Governance & Demand Management · 2021 — 2024
Exprivia
Director, Finance Business Unit · 2016 — 2021
Mediobanca
Director, Head of Front Office IT & Market Data Manager · 2008 — 2016
Intesa Sanpaolo
IT Manager, Head of Murex Desk · 2001 — 2008
Banca IMI
Project Manager · 1999 — 2001
06 — Education & training
Foundations
Degree · 1994 — 1999
Politecnico di Milano
Degree in Computer Science Engineering, major in Systems and Applications. 100/100 with first-class honours.
Professional development
SDA Bocconi
Management courses on leadership, people management, team building, negotiation and conflict resolution. Knowledge of the COBIT 5 and ITGC frameworks for IT audit.
Languages
Italian · English · French
Fluent in all three; working languages across Milan and London teams and international vendors.
07 — References
In the words of colleagues and clients
“Paolo has a solid organizational experience capable of combining technical expertise with strategic vision. I have appreciated his reliability and ability to manage complex projects while always maintaining a focus on results. He is someone you can always count on, a leader reliable and capable, knowledgeable and professional. I recommend him without reservation to any organization.”
Selina Karen Garlaschelli
Head of Account Management Iberia & Italy, S&P Global · client relationship · June 2026
“Working with Paolo at Italiaonline, what I most appreciate is his pragmatism: faced with a problem, he goes straight to the point, finds a workable solution, and sees it through, without unnecessary process or formalities. In IT budget management, this means constant, hands-on attention: he tracks spending closely, catches deviations early, and realigns spend with objectives without losing sight of cost versus value delivered. The same approach shows in his governance of complex projects: across multiple teams and competing priorities, he keeps clarity on ownership and what truly matters, bringing order to tangled situations. Keep going.”
Patrizio Leardini
IT Operation & QA Director, Italiaonline · same team · July 2026
Earlier recommendations (2008) — bank integration and Murex programmes
“I worked with Paolo on bank merging projects in the last years; he was responsible for the Murex development stream, while I was in charge of PMO. On these projects he was very good in leading the development team to reach project goals; he worked really hard and easily faced a high level of stress. He was very good in establishing proper relationships with relevant project stakeholders. I also appreciated his strong knowledge of OTC derivatives products and the Murex platform.”
Alberto Zoppetti
Managing Director, Head of International Network Management, Intesa Sanpaolo · September 2008
“Paolo has a deep knowledge of trading applications (i.e. Murex) and a strong know-how on financial instruments such as listed and OTC derivatives. During the period we worked together on a bank integration project, Paolo was constantly focused on his objectives and succeeded in getting the project milestones in time and in budget.”
Marcello Canepa
Worked with Paolo on a bank integration project · September 2008
“Paolo is an excellent manager, ambitious, responsible leader with good sense of humor. I worked with him on many projects and I appreciated his ability in focusing and addressing many problems at the same time.”
Vien Hoc Thong Loi
Partner, Deloitte Central Mediterranean – Digital Banking Leader · September 2008
08 — FAQ
Questions recruiters ask
- What is Paolo Crespi's current role?
- Paolo Crespi is IT Governance Director at Italiaonline, Italy's leading internet company, since September 2024. Reporting to the CIO, he leads a team of 10+ and runs the group's IT governance: strategic IT planning, enterprise application architecture, IT cost control, oversight of critical projects and the group's AI/GenAI initiatives, across a portfolio of about €35M (~€11M capex and ~€24M opex).
- What is Paolo Crespi's background in IT leadership?
- Paolo Crespi has 26+ years in IT, the last 18 in leadership roles reporting to the CIO or to top management: Head of IT Governance & Demand Management at Mooney (2021–2024), Director of the Finance Business Unit at Exprivia (2016–2021), Director and Head of Front Office IT at Mediobanca (2008–2016) and IT Manager, Head of the Murex Desk at Intesa Sanpaolo (2001–2008), after starting as a project manager at Banca IMI (1999–2001).
- What experience does Paolo Crespi have in banking and financial services?
- Most of Paolo Crespi's career is in regulated finance: capital-markets and investment-banking IT at Banca IMI, Intesa Sanpaolo and Mediobanca (Murex front-to-back trading platforms, market data, risk and collateral systems, two bank integrations), then payments and fintech at Mooney, an e-money institution supervised by the Bank of Italy, where he led DORA readiness and ICT risk reporting to the Board. At Exprivia he built the digital offering for banking and insurance.
- What size of IT budgets and teams has Paolo Crespi managed?
- Paolo Crespi has led teams of up to 30 people across up to four offices and budgets up to €26M: a €26M operating budget and a team of 23 across four offices at Mediobanca; about 30 people, three offices and a ~€18M IT budget at Mooney; and today a ~€35M capex and opex portfolio with a team of 10+ at Italiaonline.
- What are Paolo Crespi's main areas of expertise?
- IT strategy and enterprise architecture; IT governance and portfolio management; technology risk, cybersecurity and compliance (DORA, COBIT 5, ITGC, GDPR); digital transformation and technology modernisation (cloud and hybrid infrastructure, open API and open banking, RPA, blockchain, trading platforms, post-merger integration); AI and data governance; financial and vendor management; people and organisational leadership.
- What is Paolo Crespi's experience in IT governance?
- Paolo Crespi has designed and run IT governance in two organisations. At Mooney (2021–2024) he led demand and project management, cost and budget monitoring, planning and risk management, the DORA gap analysis and remediation plan, outsourcing and third-party risk, and KPI reporting to the Board and Internal Audit. At Italiaonline (since 2024) he defines the group's governance framework, internal control system and KPIs, sets budget guidelines and runs periodic forecasting. Frameworks: COBIT 5, ITGC, ITIL.
- What is Paolo Crespi's educational background?
- Paolo Crespi holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering (major in Systems and Applications) from Politecnico di Milano, awarded 100/100 with first-class honours, and has completed management courses at SDA Bocconi on leadership, people management, team building, negotiation and conflict resolution. He is fluent in Italian, English and French.
09 — Contact
Let's talk about your next IT leadership challenge.
Available for CIO mandates — and, as a second option, Head of IT Governance roles — and for conversations with executive search and recruiting partners.
The full CV is available on request. I send it personally as a password-protected PDF, with the password in a separate message. Use the form and tell me who you are and which role you have in mind.