In the world of Italian family businesses, there are stories that transcend balance sheets and market shares. They speak of responsibility, of a legacy to be preserved, and of profound personal sacrifice. This is the case of Balocco SpA, a company that symbolizes the Italian confectionery tradition, which in 2025 experienced a delicate, emotional, and meaningful transition.
On August 4, 2025, at just 61 years of age, Alessandra Balocco, president and CEO of the group, passed away. She was a woman who embodied the weight of an important family legacy with extraordinary dignity, carrying on her shoulders the burden of the company's history and a harsh fate.
Within a few months, in 2022, Alessandra had lost her father, Aldo Balocco, a key figure in the company's growth and development, and her brother, Alberto, the CEO, who tragically passed away in the mountains. At that point, without warning and without any planned transitions, she was tasked with leading a company with €250 million in revenue, hundreds of employees, and a brand recognized throughout the country. All this while Italy was preparing to uncover one of the most sensational media scandals of recent years: the so-called "Pandoro-Gate."
It was Alessandra herself who faced public pressure, scrutiny from authorities, and the internal tensions that inevitably arise in a reputational crisis. She did so without ever publicly giving in, with a composure and a sense of responsibility that anyone who knew her today recognizes. But those who were close to her know how much that mental and physical effort cost, how profound her dedication was, and how little space she left for herself. She did it out of respect for her loved ones, out of love for her company, to protect a heritage that goes beyond the company: it is the culture of work, it is Piedmontese identity, it is collective memory.
The Municipality of Fossano, where the historic factory is located, declared a day of mourning on the day of the funeral. But the silence with which the news was greeted throughout the Italian confectionery industry was equally eloquent. Alessandra wasn't just a manager: she was a symbol of continuity, a figure of balance, a guardian of family values in an increasingly competitive industry.
Today, Balocco's leadership is passed to the fourth generation. Taking up the mantle are Diletta Balocco, 28, Alberto's daughter, and Marco Costamagna, 26, Alessandra's son. Both are well-prepared young people, both graduates of Bocconi University, with management experience in large organizations and a modern vision of the company. Along with them, the new board of directors includes trusted figures such as Ruggero Costamagna, Assunta Pinto, and Gianfranco Bessone, a guarantee of stability and strategic continuity.
The mission is clear: to honor the memory of those who made this company great and, at the same time, write a new chapter. Alessandra's legacy will be measured not only by numbers, but by the solidity with which she paved the way for this generational transition.
For those who believe, there's always a reading that goes beyond the visible facts. There are gazes that guide from above, gestures that continue to inspire, and pulses that never cease to live in those who remain. And this writer is certain that it will be the young people, with their courage, their ideas, and their authenticity, who will give new impetus not only to Balocco, but to the entire Italian confectionery industry. Driven by what's within them. And by those who, today, look down on them from heaven, proud of what they are and what they will achieve.
