Elena Sorlini

Questioner
DISC Type : c

Chief Executive Officer at Grandi Stazioni Retail S.p.a.

Italy

Overview

Elena Sorlini is the CEO of Grandi Stazioni Retail, leveraging over two decades of experience in infrastructure and travel retail. Previously, as CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, she led a major transformation, including the successful launch of Zayed International Airports new Terminal A. She holds an MBA from Copenhagen Business School.

After a distinguished international career in London, Copenhagen, Oman, and Abu Dhabi, Elena has recently returned to her native Italy. She has expressed that this new chapter, continuing her journey in travel retail within Italys iconic railway stations, feels truly special and is a source of personal excitement.

Under her leadership, Zayed International Airport was named "Best Airport for Retail" at the prestigious 2025 Frontier Awards.

Personality Overview

Price-Sensitive

Value Seeker

Cautious & Analytical

They generally do not appreciate an overfriendly approach and prefer to stay to-the-point.  While they don't hesitate to ask questions, they are generally risk-averse and tend to be late adopters. They are more likely than others to negotiate on pricing and terms.

Topics They Care About

Travel Retail Innovation
Her career is focused on enhancing the commercial and retail experience for travelers, first in airports and now in Italy's busiest railway stations.
Passenger Experience
She consistently emphasizes placing the passenger at the core of all strategy, aiming to create memorable, seamless, and high-quality experiences in transit hubs.
Team Empowerment
Publicly states her role is to empower her team, remove obstacles, and foster a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and motivated.

Media Appearances

Elena has no verified media appearances

Work History

1-2026
Chief Executive Officer at Grandi Stazioni Retail S.p.a.
5-2023
Board Member at Abu Dhabi Aviation
5-2023
Board Member at Peninsula PLC
11-2024 - 12-2025
Board Member at Airports Council International - ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East
2-2024 - 12-2025
Managing Director and CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports

Education

2-2015 - 6-2017
Executive Master from Copenhagen Business School
11-2002 - 10-2003
Master’s Degree from SDA Bocconi

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 4 Location : Italy Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Executive Officer at Grandi Stazioni Retail S.p.a.
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Insights For Selling To Elena

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Tell them that you will come back if you don’t have a good answer for a question
  • Emphasize on objective proof of ROI, help them do a thorough evaluation
  • Back up any claims with data and numbers

DONT's

  • Don’t try to be too friendly or informal with them
  • Don’t depend too much on anecdotal evidence, it reduces their confidence
  • Don’t overhype the product/pitch, keep it measured

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Elena is

  • Confidence that the product provides ROI, effective pricing and process adherence matter the most to them.

  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Elena

  • It doesn’t come naturally to them but they can say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Elena move?

  • They can move at a reasonable pace while making their decisions if they have the necessary information.

  • Can Elena take some risk or not?

  • They can take some risk if they are confident that they have analyzed the circumstances well.


You And Elena

Personality Compatibility


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