Dr Maurizio Bragagni Obe Mba Cdir Fiod
Chairman And Chartered Director
Chartered Director and Fellow Member of the Institute of Directors, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE now
exercises his roles according to the IoD Code of Professional Conduct. Maurizio is keen to implement an appropriate governance structure within the organisation he works for, accompanied by robust financial management and a strong control on leadership and strategy. These are the competencies Maurizio brings to the Boards he participates in.
Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE is Chairman and CEO of Tratos Ltd, the manufacturing division of global cable maker Tratos Group, for which he has also served as a member of the Board since 2000. Tratos is an innovative international cable producer with factories in the UK and Italy, offices in five continents and customers worldwide, servicing the power, transport, shipping, communications and oil and gas industries. With a turnover in excess of €350 million, it is one of the world’s largest independent cable manufacturers and is involved in many high-profile and technologically-advanced projects across the globe.
Tratos is an international manufacturer and supplier of Low Voltage, Medium Voltage, and High Voltage Cables (HV cables) and (EHV) Extra High Voltage Cables up to 245 kV.
Italian-born, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE is based in the UK and has played a key role in building the family business into a multinational success story, including leading the globalisation of the company’s manufacturing capabilities. A British citizen, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE has a degree in Law from the University of Pisa and an MBA from London’s Cass Business School and has been responsible for exponential growth at the company, winning government funding and investing heavily in facilities, employee development and technology.
In addition to his successful business career, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE has written several books on the importance of family business and sustainable strategy and is a proud member of the Institute for Family Business (IFB). This interest has led to his appointment as Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow of management at the Bayes Business School, City University of London, where he concentrates his time on the study of sustainability strategy.
Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE is also Visiting Professor for the Institute of Management and Leadership at the University Bolton, developing leadership in challenging sustainable strategies and studying the contribution of private and public UK companies to the C02 net-zero emissions commitment.
With more than two decades of international business and presence in the five continents, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE supports the UK Department for International Trade on the arrangement of new agreements between the UK and other countries.
As Honorary Consul of San Marino to the UK, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE is making an immense contribution to promoting and nurturing friendly relations between the UK and San Marino, as well as sharpening his diplomatic and consular skills to the level of a global businessman.
In recognition of his services and achievements to the UK business community and abroad Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE was awarded Knight of Italian Republic (OMRI) for business services to Italy.
In his limited free time, Maurizio is a loyal member of the Naval & Military In & Out Club, a proud Freeman of the City of London in which Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE is a Founder Liveryman of the Company of Communicators and involved in supporting the charity initiatives.
Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE launched his own charity foundation, Esharelife, founded on the principle of giving back to society and with a sole mission: sharing life in the digital era. The charity, recognised by the UK Charity Commission, is giving hope to women and children in some of the most deprived regions of the world, through access to sustainable education.
Personal Coat of Arms
Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE has got the approval to bear his own coat of arms, which was designed by the College of Arms in London and represent Dr Bragagni’s s family heritage, personal motto and elements that have shaped his life and career. Read more
Career
With a degree in Law and a Master’s in Business Administration, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE has pursued a model of education that has prepared him to sit on the board of directors of different companies. Today, he exercises this position according to the principles of the “Chartered Director Code of Professional Conduct”. Read more
Sustainability Commitment – beyond COP26
Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE has always been aware of the importance of sustainability and of its importance in operating in the world to achieve sustainable development. Dr Bragagni’s participation in the COP26 is only the latest exemplification of its long-lasting commitment to the achievement of sustainable development goals. Read more
Freeman – City of London
In July 2020, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE has been appointed Freeman of the City. The City of London maintains the ability to grant Freeman of the City as a living tradition. The City Freemen – and women – are drawn from… Read more
Charitable Activity
Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE sits at the head of a global business. It’s a position that offers a constant reminder that we are all international citizens, and although we are all born equal, more can be done to create chances and choices, and educate to open opportunities. Read more
Honours & Awards
In his long-lasting career, Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE has been awarded several Honors & Awards for his active role and engagement for the good of the world society, with particular attention to sustainability and inclusion. Read more
Photo Gallery
The story of Dr Maurizio Bragagni OBE’s life and achievements. Read more
International influencer, author, entrepreneur & education champion
Dr Bragagni—an influencer and advisor across technology businesses, education, innovation and manufacturing—is an entrepreneur and a business leader, comfortable offering insights to Westminster and fostering closer links between UK PLC and Italy.
Ahead of advanced Brexit negotiations, he brokered an introduction between British-based businesses and former Italian Senate President, Senator Marcello Pera, President of the Italian Senate. In 2018 he stood for the Italian Senate, focussed on a role dedicated to helping Italians in business abroad.
As a result of that work and a close relationship with the UK-Italian Chamber of Commerce, he set up one of the most active and respected groups within Westminster, the British Italian Conservatives.
Now Honorary Consul for San Marino, he has further developed his work fostering closer relations with the UK to advance both countries’ interests through mutual cooperation in a shared ‘new economy.’ He is also a member of the IEC Market Strategy Board, offering his vision for innovation and contributing to the mission of the MSB and IEC.
The MSB (Market Strategy Board), which reports to the CB (Council Board), identifies the principal technological trends and market needs in the IEC’s fields of activity. It sets strategies to maximize input from primary markets and establishes priorities for the technical and conformity assessment work of the IEC, improving the Commission’s response to the needs of innovative and fast-moving markets. It may establish SWGs (Special Working Groups) under the leadership of an MSB member to investigate certain subjects in depth or to develop a specialized document.
The MSB comprises a chairman, 15 top-level technology officers as members appointed from industry, and (ex officio) the IEC Officers. The MSB meets at least once a year.
Education, education, education
“Nihil Difficile Volenti Nothing is impossible if you desire. The main evidence in my life are our desires. The heart will never let you down. Following your desires is the first loyalty to yourself and to our Creator. Follow your desires and you accomplish the person you will be.” Maurizio Bragagni
As someone who loves to learn and sees the benefits of harnessing curiosity and hunger for knowledge, Dr Bragagni leads by example and continues to learn. He is the chairman of the Board of Governors of Regent College London with College principal, Dr Selva Pankaj and Mrs Tharshiny Pankaj.
The Regent Group runs a suite of quality education facilities from nursery, through tuition services and full-time secondary school, to higher education and executive leadership courses.
Dr Bragagni is currently finishing his latest studies which will see him become one of a small number of UK Chartered Directors.
A devoted patron of the arts and keen supporter of education projects that change people’s lives for the better, he is behind the launch of Esharelife – a registered charity that raises funds to enable children and young adults in Kenya’s worst slums to access education and vocational skills to open up chances and choices.
The Tratos Academy, set up by Dr Bragagni, focuses on fostering world-class product knowledge, innovative ideas and customer service across all company colleagues. The academy is Dr Bragagni’s initiative, backed by an internal communications programme, which aims to share knowledge and promote awareness of new and emerging technology in the cable industry. The academy has been influential in further developing the company’s culture of innovation, and its insights have been made available to next-generation engineers: today’s undergraduates.
International entrepreneur & innovator
During his time as Export Director, he took the group’s manufacturing capability global, establishing Tratos bases in strategic locations for key markets and closer customer relationships. Across Tratos’ key countries – China, Spain, UK, Switzerland and Belgium – he also forged close relationships with countries’ governments to better understand the key to their ways of doing business. Consequently, he has been responsible for the exponential growth of a company which is now considered one of the most innovative and enlightened, as well as one of the largest independent cable manufacturers.
Under his guidance, Tratos UK won substantial government funding and invested heavily in new facilities, creating much needed employment and state of the art centres of excellence for manufacturing and developing next-generation cables.
Passionate about his industry’s ability to drive world-stage progress in customers’ industries, from faster, safer and more efficient processing at the biggest trade ports to super fire-resistant cabling in metro networks, the work he leads includes significant investment in the company’s people.
He has continued to lead a business defined by practical, inspired and ground-breaking innovation. His commitment to finding new and better ways of looking at and doing things is at the heart of everything Dr Bragagni involves himself in, from CPD for staff to the development of new ways to help those in need. He devoted his Cass Business School MBA thesis to “The Culture of Innovation”.
The company’s culture of innovation has been developed to embrace people, products, production and approach throughout the business, its stakeholders and across supply chains. He took the decision to cut out middlemen and directly secure Tratos’ source of raw materials allowing the company to control cost and guarantee supply.
As the company has grown internationally, he has ensured that service levels keep pace, with Tratos offices worldwide ensuring customers are fully supported. This has been particularly important as Tratos’ bespoke design work has expanded, and the company has become the ‘go-to’ solution for the development of new and advanced cable systems.
UK PLC Champion
Dr Bragagni is behind several campaigning initiatives to drive better business in the UK.
His campaigning work includes a focus on winning support for breaking BT’s broadband monopoly, including calling for the separation of BT and Openreach (a process followed through by Ofcom) to remove fast-fibre’s gatekeeper and clear the path for high-speed connectivity for UK PLC. He has published a number of White Papers, covering issues such as the hugely negative impact of fake cable for Britain’s smart motorways and the businesses that rely on them and the future of Britain’s ‘Broken Broadband.’
He has been vocal in demanding that new CPR cable standards go further to ensure safety in public buildings, homes and workplaces. Part of that process has included a pledge from Tratos that its own cable production standards will exceed the standards set out in the new legislation. Dr Bragagni continues to find opportunities to educate and illuminate around fire safety standards for cable used in public buildings and domestic dwellings through his Safer Structures Campaign.
He is a former Vice President of PEMA (Port Equipment Manufacturers Association), a member of BCA (British Cables Association), ANIE Federation (representing the electrotechnical and electronic companies operating in Italy), ACI (Approved Cables Initiative), IOD (Institute of Directors) and Oil & Gas UK.
He is also a non-executive director of UK mobile personal health monitoring start-up siHealth Ltd. siHealth’s app technology enables real-time self-monitoring to help wearers prevent skin damage from overexposure to UV.
In 2016 Dr Bragagni was recognised with the Keynes Sraffa Award from the Italian Chamber of Commerce for the UK for his ongoing commitment to promoting greater cooperation between the two countries. In accepting the award, he joins the company of previous recipients, including Lord Eddie George, former Governor of the Bank of England; Antonio Fazio, former Governor of Banca d’Italia; Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, former Chairman of Ferrari and Fiat; Sir John Sunderland CBE, former president of the Confederation of British Industry; Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline and Francesco Profumo, the Italian engineer and academic, previously Italy’s Minister for Education.
At the end of 2017, he was presented with The Big Ben Award, one of China’s business community’s most prestigious acknowledgements for business leadership.
The award is organised by the British Chinese Youth Federation (BCYF) and recognises the people who contribute most to the relationship between China and the nations it trades with.
Previous luminaries to have received one of these awards include snooker World Champion, Junhui DING, celebrity violinist Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson and House of Fraser COO Peter Gross.