Since April 1997 he has been Director General of the Books Division of the Mondadori Group. He has also been Vice-Chairman of the Einaudi publishing house since July 2004, Chairman of the Piemme publishing house since 2003 and Chairman of Mondadori Electa since 2002. A graduate in classical literature at the University of Pavia, he dedicated himself to university lecturing from 1974 to 1989 as temporary professor in the history of science and then as associate professor in the history of scientific thought at the University of Pavia. He has had various roles in publishing, first as editorial assistant at the Boringhieri publishing house and then as Books Director at Rizzoli.