Etifor stands at the 'crossroads of strategy and sustainability' offering consulting services to both public and private organisation to develop sustainable business models. Its core business is to provide cutting-edge solutions for companies and organisations with a specific focus on carbon neutrality strategies and the reduction of 360° impacts on nature, biodiversity, and the environment.
Founded by few PhD students in 2011 as a spin-off from the University of Padua, it was initially a company that dealt mainly with research and development. Now - 11 years later - under the leadership of Alessandro Leonardi, its Co-Founder and CEO, it counts a team of around 65 people and a wider range of services. Their client portfolio ranges from private companies (such as Luxottica, Alì and DHL) to public administrations and organisations (such as the Ministry of Economic Development, the Lombardy Region and Ca' Foscari University) and international institutions (such as FAO, Unesco and the European Commission).
Alessandro tells us that he discovered wethod in 2015 during a meeting entitled 'Reinventing Organisation'. Even at early stages, the need for a unified project management tool was evident. They required a program that could provide comprehensive support to their entire team, streamlining various operations and eliminating the inaccuracies and duplications that stemmed from using multiple programs. Wethod emerged as the solution to their challenges.
"It took us very little to adapt even though at the time it seemed like a huge step to leave the spreadsheets behind, but this certainly helped us a lot in our growth".
Alessandro Leonardi, Co-Founder and CEO
Their innovative and modern approach has always set them apart, not only in terms of the services they offer and the market they operate in, but also in terms of their organisational and structural framework. Over the years, their team and range of services have significantly expanded, and thanks to wethod, they've established a collaborative working methodology. Notably, individuals from diverse backgrounds, previously unfamiliar with project development and management, have been able to embrace these areas through wethod.
"Sharing the method is also very useful for managing new resources: they are able to understand and interact in the different projects in which they are involved right from the start."
Alessandro Leonardi, Co-Founder and CEO
Especially for Alessandro, whose responsibilities include overseeing and strategizing Etifor's trajectory, having a tool that offers real-time updates on the opportunities pipeline and active project developments has been absolutely essential.
"Being able to plan and have a projection well in advance of the end of the year or the final project settlement also helped us a lot in the decision-making phase."
Alessandro Leonardi, Co-Founder and CEO
Access to real-time data on ongoing projects and forecasts for the upcoming months, coupled with support for the development of various internal initiatives, has empowered Etifor to successfully implement numerous corporate welfare policies—a very important aspect for them. Thanks to an accurate and continuously updated forecast, Alessandro and the Etifor team are able to maintain a clear overview throughout the year, determining the allocation of resources to various team-oriented initiatives.
"At Etifor, transparency is key; every member of our team has access to insights and the Profit & Loss section."
Alessandro Leonardi, Co-Founder and CEO
Every team member has a strong responsibility: everyone's work contributes to the company profit, which in turn is shared with the whole team through strong welfare policies.Thus, at Etifor, the budget culture is indeed a goal to be achieved, but also a commitment that all team members know they have towards each other.
"Promoting the quality of work as well as the quality of the workplace I think are essential elements nowadays. That's why we share our policies of transparency at the hiring stage. Having wethod to support our vision and daily operations is definitively helpful.”
Alessandro Leonardi, Co-Founder and CEO
