ITALIAN State Railways (FS) has appointed Gianpiero Strisciuglio as its new CEO and general manager. Strisciuglio’s appointment was confirmed by the company’s board of directors on July 13.
The appointment of Strisciuglio follows the confirmation of a new board of directors under a three-year term from 2026 to 2028. Tommaso Tanzilli will continue to chair the board, which is now comprised of Pietro Bracco, Franco Fenoglio, Silvia Marzot, Loredana Ricciotti and Daniela Rota.
Strisciuglio was appointed as CEO of Trenitalia in March 2025 having previously led infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) from May 2023. He also served as chairman of the supervisory board of TX Logistik and held roles with Mercitalia Logistics.
Donnarumma departs
FS confirmed the resignation of previous CEO, Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, on June 30.
Donnarumma’s term was due to end in spring 2027 and Italian media reports citing the Ministry of Transport state that the decision for an earlier departure was made jointly with transport minister, Matteo Salvini.
The reports state that the upcoming completion of projects under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) marked a natural break point. They also suggest that disagreements with Ministry of Economy of Finance (MEF), FS’ controlling shareholder, accelerated the departure, with the ministry thought to oppose the acquisition by FS of the railway activities of construction and engineering group Pizzarotti in January, and a proposal to seek foreign capital to support future investments.
In a statement in LinkedIn confirming his departure, Donnarumma says he was appointed to accelerate investment, achieve profitability and deliver the objectives set by the PNRR, which were “unattainable at the time” but were “achieved in just 24 months.”
“It has been a historic, urgent, and necessary renewal for a company that has been shaping the nation’s history for 120 years and will continue to support Italy’s growth in the decades to come.”
