FRANCESCO PUGLIESE
Corporate Business Innovation Director,
MSC Cruises
Francesco Pugliese is MSC Cruises’ Corporate Business Innovation Director. Based at the Company’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, he reports directly to Mr Luca Pronzati, the Chief Business Innovation Officer. Together with his team, Mr Pugliese has conceived, designed and coordinated the implementation of strategic digital projects such as MSC for Me aimed to outline the futuristic world of cruises.
MSC Cruises is the world's largest private-capital cruise company and is building the ships of the future, the so-called “smart ships” equipped with the most innovative technologies, as part of a ten-year investment program that will triple the Company’s passenger capacity in just ten years.
In 2017 the Business Innovation Team developed MSC for Me, the unique digital innovation program that leveraging on the latest technologies allows to connect the cruise passengers with each other and with the onboard services (www.msccruises.com/en-gl/Discover-MSC/MSC-for-Me.aspx). This ground-breaking program has been then further enriched introducing new features to enhance Guest experience and set new standards of customer excellence at sea. In 2021, the Business Innovation Team sailed off onboard the ship Rob, the first humanoid robotic bartender at sea, the main character of the immersive, futuristic MSC Starship Club, an entertainment bar experience.
Mr Pugliese has twenty years of experience in leading international companies such as Ernst & Young (in Rome and Paris) and Ralph Lauren (in Geneva). Since 2010 he has held several managerial roles at MSC Cruises.