Our History

Rosanna: A Pillar of Our Growth

In 2010, we welcomed a key figure into our team for the future of the company: Dr. Rosanna Ferriero, a Food Technology graduate and tireless mother. She was entrusted with one of the most critical roles: quality assurance, a cross-functional role that requires continuous interaction with every department, from procurement to sales, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Although she came from a smaller company, we immediately recognized Rosanna's extraordinary potential. By investing in her continuous training, we knew she would deliver excellent results. And that’s exactly what happened: every audit we’ve undergone has achieved top marks, thanks to her constant, precise, and meticulous dedication. What amazes me the most is how she manages to skillfully keep everything under control, not just in our company, but also in her family, where she coordinates four men with balance and precision! I’m proud to work alongside her, and I extend my heartfelt compliments to this Super Woman in every sense!

The Collaboration with Food Bloggers Begins: A Journey into Flavor

In the early 2010s, a digital transformation marked the rise of the first influencers, and in our sector, chefs and food bloggers became the stars. They were ordinary people who passionately began to photograph, describe, and share what they cooked, creating a vibrant culinary movement. Thus, we decided to create a small but significant platform on our website, foodblogger.ficacci.com, which is still alive and thriving today. Here, cooking enthusiasts can build their personal showcase, receive our prized olives for free, and publish recipes that must include at least one olive among the ingredients. Visitors to the site are not just spectators but active participants: they can vote on recipes and enter the instant-win contest to take home our olives. For every certain number of votes and published recipes, food bloggers earn the prestigious "Ficacci Spoon," which can be used to request new samples of olives. This exciting project has involved more than 55 food bloggers, who have published a remarkable 1,173 recipes featuring our olives on ricette.ficacci.com. It has been truly incredible! This journey has brought us closer to a community of enthusiasts and reminds us how beautiful it is to share a passion for cooking..

David Dottorini, Our Export Manager

In 2012, our international sales were growing significantly. We began by exporting to nearby European countries and soon expanded to other continents in the following order: America, Australia, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. To support this international growth, we needed someone dedicated full-time to the expansion project. That's when we opened the selection for our company’s very first Export Manager, a crucial addition to our sales team. David responded to a job advertisement we posted on Facebook.com/ItalianOlives . He introduced himself as a native English speaker from Ireland with experience in multinational companies. After meeting him, we quickly realized that he was someone exceptional. We often share his incredible career journey with clients during dinners; few people have held such a diverse range of roles in a single lifetime. Here are just a few highlights: in 1983, he was a graphic designer; in 1989, he sold refreshments at Rome’s Olympic Stadium; in 1995, he wrote his Geology thesis at the Pratola Peligna Observatory; and in 1996, he worked as a marshal at MotoGP. A year later, he was setting up offices at Fiumicino Airport, and in 1998, he hitchhiked across the United States, even sitting in George W. Bush’s chair in Texas! In 2000, he taught at a high school and mapped GPS routes for Google Maps across Italy. In 2002, he had a cameo in the film *Caterina in the Big City,* spent six months in Japan in 2003, and in 2005, he was an assistant to director Nanni Moretti while also performing with his band, “Rastabelli,” on the island of Ventotene and even in Belfast. And this is just a sample of his experiences. With such a rich profile, we couldn’t resist hiring him. We were impressed by his eloquence, cultural knowledge, and adaptability. Although he had little direct experience in international sales, he learned quickly and enthusiastically. Today, David is a key part of our sales team. Clients appreciate him for his exceptional attention to commercial operations and his ability to entertain them during the many international events we attend. Well done, David! Here’s to continuing our journey together toward global success, one olive at a time!