THE INTERVIEW. Who is Enrico Mannara

“I am ENRICO MANNARA, one of the members of the Board of Directors and sales director for Italy and abroad of IMA Abrasivi.”

Enrico Mannara is part of the IMA Abrasivi staff since 1995, the year in which he returned from London, after a study experience. He has always had clear ideas about his professional path: his propensity for sales and the market analysis, as well as the dialectic that distinguishes him, have always directed him towards the role he now holds for more than 25 years.

“I have always wanted to be a “salesperson” and work in contact with customers who, before being such, are people, entrepreneurs, users who need to satisfy a need.
Listening and discussing, interpreting needs and offering a solution: this is what I have always wanted to do. IMA Abrasivi gave me the opportunity to express myself, to get involved and to prove, even to myself, that this was the right path.”

Enrico Mannara is a man who believes in relationships and collaboration, convinced that companies and customers need real support, consultancy based on experience and concreteness. He has always believed in the importance of building relationships and inopportunity which represent the trade fairs – places par excellence to create connections and weave relationships. Always present at all events and demonstrations, one could say that he is the face of IMA Abrasivi. In fact, one of his first memories in the company is linked precisely to this type of experience.

“One of the funniest moments for me was the first Fair in Cologne. I still remember it as if it were today: it was 1996 and the one in Cologne was our first international participation. I was anxious to put myself to the test, to entertain the visitors and fascinate them with our products made in Italy. And here is the first visitor: a Syrian, who later became one of the big customers of IMA Abrasivi who, still today, comes to visit us at the fair.”

Pragmatic, serious, reliable: his personality is reflected in the company's choices, always considered and judicious. But has it always been like this? Call it what you prefer - character, inclination or propensity: Enrico Mannara yes, he has always had this attitude and has demonstrated it since his first steps in the company.

What was your first experience in the company?

“The first few months were a constant discovery both in production and in the office, where I was supported by the Sales Director at the time, a master for me, who contributed to my human and professional development. According to him, I have always shown that I have a propensity for this profession and that I possess those qualities of concreteness and practicality that are essential for taking on a management role.
In fact, being a sales manager is a job that requires specific skills, such as analytical, organizational and problem solving skills, and it is a role that requires a strong development of interpersonal, communication and diplomatic skills. All these characteristics, which I have perfected over time. But I believe that what makes me a good negotiator is the deep knowledge of the sector and of my company, of the people who "inhabit it" and of the commitment made to create a product that I would dare to define as perfect.
My team of sales agents and I don't just sell records, we sell "values". Our product Made in Italy, Italian craftsmanship and manufacturing, innovative production and the attention of a company increasingly oriented towards sustainability, the strong territorial identity that makes us ambassadors of the South: these are the values contained in every IMA Abrasivi disc.”

The goal is therefore to understand the needs of the customer company and the market, the operator and the sector. But the real challenge, for Enrico Mannara, who this year appears among the four members of the Board of Directors, is to increase the brand reputation of IMA Abrasivi starting from what it represents in the Italian industrial panorama, in particular for Southern Italy.

What are your professional goals?

“I have been part of the IMA Abrasivi team for 30 years. 30 years ago, a collaboration began that brought me a lot of satisfaction, even when times became more difficult.
I have a clear vision of the future that sees IMA Abrasivi as a great leader in the sector in Italy and abroad, a vision that can be achieved thanks to our commitment and the quality of our product.
Today, after 30 years, the great achievement for me is to be able to say that I have contributed to the success of IMA and to be able to boast of being part of a large, strong and innovative Italian company.
IMA Abrasivi has always been the “best choice” for me and continues to be so.”

Discover the faces of the administrators of the new generation of IMA ABRASIVI.