Italy-UK Partnership

PARTNERSHIP | Fall 2020 18 An interview with Sabrina Corbo, CEO of Green Network UK Providing green energy and encouraging eco-friendly lifestyles A fter working for several international law firms, in 2003, Sabrina Corbo and her husband Piero Saulli founded Green Network SpA in Rome which, today, is one of the main electricity and gas suppliers in Italy with around one million customers between Italy and the UK, and over £2bn in turnover. Following the success in the Italian energy market, Mrs. Corbo decided to open Green Network UK Plc in 2013, which was followed in 2015 by Green Network Energy Ltd, the first Italian company to supply electricity and gas to both domestic and business customers in the UK. To date, Green Network Energy has over 800,000 domestic and 2,000 business customers. For her commitment to friendly relationships between the UK and Italy, Sabrina was made Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy in 2017. We interviewed Mrs Corbo after she was elected Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK, in May 2020. Not only she plays an important role for the ICCIUK, but most of all she represents an entrepreneur with ethical and moral duties, who is also a mother of three children and therefore ensured that Green Network was a family- friendly company. ICC: Being a woman CEO, how would you describe female leadership in a green energy company? Would you give us an overview of your experience? What is your perspective of and impact on the company? SC: Working in the energy market for over 17 years has shown me that women are still often overlooked in this predominantly male sector. I have had to focus on my values and fight the stereotypes often put on me when I first started out. But the energy sector is changing rapidly, and this has given women the unique opportunity to shape the future of energy. We must always encourage women to pursue STEM jobs and challenge the norm. We often bring many skills that a man cannot to the role - whether that is creativity, empathy or seeing things from a new perspective. Diversity often leads to innovation. We will not be able to shape the future of energy if we are still lacking diversity. ICC: How did your business experience this year so far? Which