Nicola Garelli

Partner and Director - BCG Digital Ventures

Nicola Garelli is a manager and entrepreneur, currently a Partner and Director in BCG Digital Ventures, part of the London-based leadership team.

Nicola has been the co-founder and first Chairman of iStarter, in charge up to the end of 2014. In 2015 he became the President of the UK-based entity and remained a board member of the holding, where he took the BoD Chairman role again from 2016 to 2019.

He has a deeply rooted engineering background and a robust financial and managerial experience mainly in high-tech industries, developed through years of corporate/management consulting work and multiple direct entrepreneurial ventures where he took direct leadership positions (CEO or Chairman).

He also gained significant governance and board management familiarity with multiple board roles in private and public-private companies.

Prior to BCG Digital Ventures Nicola worked as a Principal for The Boston Consulting Group (2012-2017), for Booz & Company (2009-2012), for Gruppo Gavio/Ruscalla (2005-2009) and for Ernst & Young (2003-2004).

Nicola completed almost all his academic education while working full time. He holds a PhD in Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, a MSc in Financial Engineering and a BSc in Telecommunication Engineering. In his research he is an active contributor in policy topics.

Nicola is a Chartered Engineer, Member of The Council for the United States and Italy in its Young Leader Program and Junior Fellow at the Aspen Institute. He is also the trustee of BCG’s The Future Makers program.

Work Experience

Partner and Director, BCG Digital Ventures

Nicola joined the London-based leadership team as a Venture Architect Director and contributed to a significant growth over the last two years. He is now responsible for part of the Digital Ventures portfolio and is acting as the General Manager of two businesses whose full commercial launch is planned in September 2019.

BCG DV is focused on ideating, developing and launching disruptive digital businesses in partnership with Fortune 500 companies, often co-investing in the venture through its own investment vehicles.

With offices in LOS Angeles, San Francisco, NYC, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore and Beijing and an entrepreneurial team made of top industry talents we are able to leverage corporate assets to inject growth and to generate a new long-term competitive advantage.

Co-Founder & Equity Partner, iStarter

Nicola has been the founder and first Chairman of iStarter, in charge up to the end of 2014.
In 2015 he became the President of the UK-based entity and remained a board member of the holding, where he took the BoD Chairman role again in 2016.

Principal, Boston Consulting Group

As a Principal Nicola developed a robust managerial experience as part of the leadership team managing the Mediterranean system.
His main focus was on M&A and equity investments (private equity and principal investors, family businesses), mainly in high-tech industries.
He spent his time divided between Milan, Rome, London and Istanbul and developed working experience in more than twenty Countries.

Associate, Booz & Company

Education

PhD, Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano

MSc, Financial engineering, Polytechnic University of Turin

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