Regional Directors

Hossam Ashraf
Lavazza North America President

After graduating in electronics and communications engineering from Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1996, Hossam began his career as a field engineer at Halliburton logging services. He then decided to focus on sales, first at Procter and Gamble and later at Coca-Cola Egypt.

He continued his career by moving to Mars Egypt in 2002, where he held various positions at local and regional level, until becoming sales director in 2006. His career took an international turn in 2008, when he joined Mars Drinks in the United Kingdom, focusing on Office Coffee Service (OCS) business and taking on global assignments that involved China and Japan markets. In 2015, he was appointed General Manager for the UK.

When Mars Drinks became part of our Group in 2018, Hossam was appointed General Manager, Lavazza Professional Europe, a position he held until his transfer to the United States, where he is currently CEO Americas.

Leo Italiano
International Markets BUs Director

After graduating in Logistics and Production Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Leo completed his education with a Masters in Management Engineering in 2007 and a Ph.D in Business Strategy and Finance in 2010.

He began his career in consulting with The Boston Consulting Group, where he worked on over 15 projects in the area of Industrial and Energy Assets, focusing on corporate strategy, restructuring and growth for both private and listed companies.

In 2013, he moved to Ferrero, where he held various roles in Organization and Improvement, first at Group level and later for the Italy Business Unit, before continuing his career in Business Development and Sales.

His career path brought him to Lavazza Group in 2019, where he began by leading a strategic reconstruction project of the Route to Market in Eastern Europe, before taking on the role of General Manager for Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In 2021, Leo further enriched his skill set by completing the General Management Programme at ESCP.

Since September 2023, Leo has held the position of General Manager and Director of International Markets, managing a cluster of more than 70 countries including Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania (EEMEA and APAC), through associated companies, joint-ventures and distributors, managing a highly ramified and strategic business for the Group.

Igor Nuzzi
Italy & Iberia Regional Director

After graduating in Economics and commerce from the University of Turin, Igor continued his studies with post-graduate programmes at Bocconi University and completed the Master General Programme at the ESCP Business School.

His career development involved key roles in well-known brands in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods sector.

After initial experiences in L’Oréal and Bolton Group, he joined Ferrero in 2003, where he acquired skills and consolidated his commercial expertise, taking on roles of increasing responsibility.

In 2016, Igor entered Lavazza Group as Sales Director. His career development in Modern Trade management continued and in 2019 he was appointed Regional Director for Italy and Switzerland. Then, in 2023, the perimeter of his function was extended to include Spain and Portugal too, while maintaining responsibility for the Italian market.

Igor is a key figure in trade associations including Centromarca and GS1, as well as sitting on the Advisory Board of Linkontro NIQ, making an active contribution to debate and development in the industry.

Emanuele Pellegrino
UK & Nordics Regional Director

After graduating in Logistics and Production Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Emanuele completed a Master’s degree in Management Engineering in 2013, followed by an MBA at the Collège des Ingénieurs in 2014.

He began his professional career at Bain & Company, gaining solid international consulting experience in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods sector.

He joined the Lavazza Group in 2020, initially taking responsibility for the Global Home Channel team within the Commercial Strategy and Business Development function. Since 2021, he has led the Commercial Strategy, Business Development, and International Key Accounts division, coordinating the HQ team and overseeing global commercial activities across various channels and markets.

Since September 2025, Emanuele is UK & Nordics Regional Director for the Lavazza Group.

Massimo Pepe
France & Benelux Regional Director

After graduating in Economics and Marketing from the University of Turin, Massimo began his professional journey as a consultant in one of the leading firms in the field.

Following this first experience, he entered the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector at Ferrero, where he worked for 16 years in roles of increasing responsibility in Marketing, Trade Marketing, and Sales.

In 2016, Massimo joined the Lavazza Group as Head of Trade Marketing & Commercial Planning for Italy, later becoming, in 2019, Home Business Director for Italy and Switzerland.

In 2021, he was appointed Eastern Europe & Exports Market Director, a role in which he managed business operations in 11 countries while also overseeing exports to an additional seven international markets.

The growth of the business and commercial operations led to his appointment in June 2023 as General Manager for the UK and Ireland and Regional Director for the UK, Ireland, Nordics, and Baltic countries.

Since September 2025, he is France & Benelux Regional Director.

Susanne Wege
DACH & Poland Regional Director

After graduating in International Business Administration and Management from Innsbruck University, Susanne began her professional career with an internship at the European Commission in 1998, before being appointed Brand Manager at Jacobs Coffee.

In 2002, Susanne joined Red Bull Group, holding various positions in marketing and sales, both at HQ level and in various European markets. From 2010 to 2015, she led the Group’s Swedish branch as General Manager, focusing on regional expansion and cultural transformation.

Based in Germany, she was then appointed Sales Director at Danone before joining Lavazza Group in 2019 as General Manager Germany and Austria.

Since 2023, Susanne has been Regional Director for the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) and Poland.

Susanne has a clear vision of her work at Lavazza: “To be the first choice for lovers of Italian coffee culture”.