Federica Pietrogrande

Managing Director, Gordon Brothers

Federica Pietrogrande is a managing director at Gordon Brothers. Federica focuses on the firm’s development investment strategy across Europe, which utilises a highly flexible and opportunistic approach for alternative debt and equity investments. She helps structure deals and is committed to the entire lifecycle of investments from origination through to exit.  

Additionally, Federica supports Gordon Brothers’ legal strategy internationally. She works within different business practices across all jurisdictions to structure and manage deals, address specific legal issues, qualify, quantify and mitigate any relevant risks involved. 

Prior to joining Gordon Brothers in early 2018, Federica practiced law for 15 years at major international law firms in Italy and abroad. She specialised in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring with a focus on distressed investing and cross-border transactions.  Federica has a law degree from Rome Universita’ La Sapienza and an LL.M in Banking, Corporate and Finance from New York Fordham Law School. She is also a member of the International Insolvency Institute and Insol Europe.

What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry? 

Have the right attitude, work hard, be honest and reliable, do not believe in shortcuts, identify and develop a relationship with potential mentor(s) and start cultivating your own network among your peers. This is well-known advice and worth reiterating because it’s so relevant and important.

Women don’t need to behave or dress like a man to be successful. It’s important to work on your self-awareness, pick your battles and, most importantly, have a kind sense of humor. It goes a long way! 

In terms of personal experience, female examples of leadership have been very important to me.  When I started my career, the industry was very male-dominated, especially in Italy, so I was fortunate to have worked with some amazing women who had a profound effect on me. 

These women were highly respected and successful, and while they all had knowledge, commitment and determination in common, they had very different personalities, styles, backgrounds and life circumstances. Their examples taught me it was ok for a woman to be ambitious and successful while being yourself and remaining authentic. 

To that end, I want to give a very special thanks to Leah Dunlop, head of Corporate & Finance, former managing partner at Hogan Lovells in Italy; Toni Fine, dean for International Students at Fordham Law School in New York and author; Susan Block-Lieb, professor at Fordham Law School in New York; Robin Keller, former head of U.S. Business Restructuring and Insolvency, now senior counsel emeritus, at Hogan Lovells in New York; and Omeca Nedd, former senior associate Business Restructuring and Insolvency at Hogan Lovells in New York.

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career? 

It’s fundamental to have an open and honest conversation with your family, partner and close friends about your career and life aspirations, and the earlier the better. You cannot expect them to fully understand your life, your priorities or limited availability if you do not explain yourself, particularly if they work in less demanding industries. 

Culturally, women are expected to be more present at home for their families and loved ones. Your limited availability means you and the people around you will need to be patient, understanding and supportive of your career. I want to give a very special thanks to my incredibly supportive husband who has always encouraged me to achieve my goals.  

You can achieve and do everything in life. It might just take longer than anticipated, so be patient with yourself. 

How do you balance work/personal time? 

I need to be focused and generous with my time because the industry I work in is demanding; balancing work and life can be challenging. I don’t like routine, so I’ve developed my own personal meditation and yoga, which I practice as often and for as long as I can. I enjoy spending alone time outdoors and disconnecting from the world when the opportunity arises.

I developed a little trick years ago when I felt particularly overwhelmed that I still practice whenever I need to bring some balance into my life. I have a notebook, and I start by creating a quadrant which features non-work focus areas. These include family and friends, administration, art and culture and wellness. 

The goal is to do at least one activity in each quadrant every day and write it down. This could be anything like a five-minute stretch before going to sleep, an hour of jogging, reading an article or enjoying an art exhibition. 

It’s not about the duration, it’s about the mindset. I believe a lack of balance in the long run might create unmanageable tasks. Once you divide and conquer, the seemingly unmanageable becomes manageable!