Letizia Moratti

Letizia Maria Moratti (née Brichetto Arnaboldi; born 26 November 1949) is an Italian businesswoman and politician. She was president of RAI (1994–1996), Minister of Education, University and Research (2001–2006), mayor of Milan (2006–2011), and president of the board of directors of UBI Banca (2019–2020). In January 2021, she was appointed vice president and Assessor of Welfare of Lombardy.

Early life and education

Moratti was born in Milan. She graduated in political science from the University of Milan. She was married to the oil magnate Gianmarco Moratti (brother of Massimo Moratti) and has two children, Gabriele and Gilda. She is the granddaughter of Mimina Brichetto Arnaboldi, an intellectual society lady who hosted an important salon in Milan in the years before the Second World War, and who was also an ardent anti-fascist.

Career

Minister of Education, University and Research

Moratti is a businesswoman who has worked in insurance and telecommunications. Between 1994 and 1996, she was chairperson of the Italian state television company RAI. At the end of 1998, for about a year she became chairman of News Corp Europe, a company headed by Rupert Murdoch and owner of Stream TV. From 2001 to 2006, Moratti was Minister of Education, University and Research in the second and third Berlusconi cabinets. During her mandate, she put forward a reform of the education system, which became the Moratti Law. She ran in the 2006 Milan municipal election as the House of Freedoms mayoralty candidate and won with over 52% of the votes. She sought a second term in the 2011 Milan municipal but lost to the centre-left coalition candidate Giuliano Pisapia.