Stefano Granata is President of Gruppo Cooperativo CGM, Italy’s major network of social companies. Born in Milan in 1963, Granata has always been active in the field of social cooperation, with focus on the development of business initiatives, networking and strategic planning at national level. Granata started his career at the social co-operatives Spazio Aperto and Spazio Aperto Servizi. From 2005 to 2013 he was President of the consortium Sistema Imprese Sociali (SIS), which refers to CGM’s network.

In 2010, Granata enters the national scene as CGM’s Chief Officer, before been elected President in 2013. CGM is a network of about 900 social enterprises. CGM provides operating strategies to build cohesion within communities, by means of social economy tools. CGM promotes social business models for economic and business development, beyond the traditional boundaries set by the Italian models of social cooperation: process and product innovation, search for new markets, ability to create new employment opportunities and respond to people’s actual needs are the priorities driving CGM’s agenda.

Granata’s current engagement also includes: President of Abitare Sociale Metropolitano, a Milan based start-up social company operating in social housing, and President and CEO of Welfare Italia Servizi, which aims at developing a network of health center to deliver high quality health services at a fair and sustainable price. Granata is also member of the Board of Directors of Fondosviluppo S.p.A., mutual fund for the development of Italian cooperation.