“Giovanni Liccardo, an enlightened manager who has managed to combine a brilliant career, studded with successes that have made his entrepreneurial group a prime exponent of our country’s productive fabric, with an uncommon ability to establish himself as a builder of social, cultural and economic well-being, generating a positive impact on local areas, demonstrating great strategic vision and launching with humility, honesty and farsightedness a virtuous circle of investment and new employment”.

This was the motivation of the Scientific Committee for the Artis Suavitas Award, presented to Giovanni Liccardo, founder and CEO of Lever Touch Group, on Sunday 30 June 2024, in the splendid setting of the Roman Amphitheatre in the Archaeological Area of Avella, in the province of Avellino. An evocative location rich in history hosted the fifth edition of the Prize, represented by the sculpture “L’Albero della Cultura” [The Tree of Culture], created by artist Cettina Prezioso in collaboration with Anna Napolitano. The work depicts a person reading, drawing lifeblood from the social values of their land, symbolising the fundamental values of those who are deeply rooted in their social context, knowledge worthy of being acquired and passed on to future generations.

During the ceremony, presenter Alessia Mancini, one of the best-loved faces on Italian television, exchanged a few words with Giovanni Liccardo about the entrepreneurial path that led Lever Touch to become a Naples-based international group.

“There can be no doubt that it was a challenge within a challenge”, replied Liccardo. “It’s not easy to build a business like Lever Touch and doing it from Naples was even more complicated; but in the end the results proved us right and we showed that you can do business, healthy business, even in Naples. I am very proud of this. I like to say that our Group is present in seven countries in the world, but its brain and heart are in Naples, my city that I love deeply. Our Naples is a city full of contradictions, with many unresolved problems, but with extraordinary potential, ready to welcome those who love it with its ironic hospitality. I live in Naples with my family, and I wanted my two daughters Valeria and Veronica to study in Naples; in Naples I sought out and found talents who contributed to the growth and development of Lever Touch with the commitment and passion that only Neapolitans can offer. That is why I wanted an almost all-Neapolitan management team to govern the Group worldwide. I feel privileged to be able to work from my office in Naples, delighting in the extraordinary view of the gulf while concentrating on business activities. And that is why I have always felt obliged to do something for my city and in particular for young Neapolitans. Our group today employs hundreds of people, the vast majority of whom are young. We offer boys and girls specialised vocational training to guarantee them a secure working future. Among the latest initiatives undertaken, in agreement with the Management of the Nisida Juvenile Prison, we offer a job opportunity to youths who have made mistakes but wish to redeem themselves. Lastly, I don’t want to forget the sponsorship of Calcio Napoli, our favourite team, thanks to which we always host many people at the stadium. We are, therefore, perfectly integrated in the city, because we at Lever Touch are grateful to Naples for its beauty, its colours, its passion, its generosity, all values that also characterise our Group and that have led us to become what we are today: a fine example of a healthy company that looks to the future with ambition and optimism”.