INSIGHT 2|2019

3 THE REWARD FOR OUR EFFORTS E ditorial Team Insight T he full integration between Prysmian Group and General Cable represented a milestone step forwards that has started delivering important results, being reflected also in the Group’s first nine months of 2019. To give our readers a full account of this milestone achievement, we’ve devoted almost this entire issue of INSIGHT to uncovering what it all means for the diverse activities and operations of our company, and, of course, of our people. We begin our journey with North America Prysmian Group CEO, Massimo Battaini, who tells the progress made by the integration process in the region, while South EuropeMarket Intelligence and TradeMarketing Chief Francesco Zecchi explains that regional integration is on schedule for all main strategic goals. The success of the integration process was symbolized with the two companies under one roof at the new Latin America Headquarters in Brazil. At Prysmian Group also Diversity & Inclusion policies take account of regional differences, as tells us Chief HR Officer Fabrizio Rutschmann. COO Andrea Pirondini then takes us through how the company’s Operations business unit has reaped the benefits of the deal, which opened new opportunities and strengthened our grip on the American market. Next, Srinivas Siripurapu, EVP and Chief R&D Officer, explores the main reasons why the Group is rolling out a new innovation process to further improve its already excellent innovation track record in a three-to-five- year window. How will this be achieved? By putting ourselves even deeper into customers’ heads and shoes, and spending more time in the field. Women have a key role to play in this process, and we listen to their voices in our dedicated report. We then examine the strategic benefits of the rapid IT integration of Prysmian with General Cable – to share best practices and deliver synergies – with the help of Stefano Brandinali and Marcelo Petenao, Prysmian Group Chief Digital Officer and Head of IT Integration respectively. We can now successfully cross the Atlantic with our new, most advanced cable-laying vessel in the world, which is named after the genius that was Leonardo da Vinci, and pay a visit to America where the Group is looking to further growth with a focus on the submarine cable sector, accompanied by Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects at Prysmian Group. We’ll then take you through our advancements on the new frontier of the telecom industry – 5G. Prysmian Group re-affirmed its commitment to this new technology by hosting in New York City the second NExsT Telecoms Forum. We will also delve into how the Group is supporting governments and telecom operators in the development of new broadband networks, and how we are continuing to invest in optical fibre and cable capacity, as well as in new technologies and knowhow. Our efforts to strengthen our leadership in the global cable industry are already paying off in terms of new and important contracts such as the milestone Viking Link Project along with other major projects secured in the US offshore wind market, and for wind farm connections in Europe. In conclusion, we can safely say that the integration of General Cable has been yielding considerable benefits at both operating synergies and business levels, and has definitely made the global leadership of our Group undisputedly stronger.