Martina Lacagnina is the assistant office manager of BonelliErede’s Milan offices

What do you do at BonelliErede?

I started as a receptionist back in 2018, when I was just 21. And last year, I was promoted to assistant office manager of the Milan offices – an opportunity that has enabled me to develop my skills and grow on both a professional and personal level.

My day-to-day work varies and encompasses all aspects of life at the firm, which gives me the chance to work with people across the firm with all sorts of backgrounds. Besides supporting the office manager, Orietta Ferrari, manage maintenance for our three Milan offices, we also work alongside the office managers of all our other offices across EMEA.

A typical workday includes welcoming our new joiners and seeing to their orientation, handling the logistics of internal events, and helping with CSR initiatives such as fundraisers.

I’ve also joined the editorial committee for our recently launched belongAlumni network. Our aim is to create a platform for former colleagues to keep in touch, exchange ideas and still feel very much part of the BonelliErede family.

How has Covid-19 affected your job?

The outbreak in 2020 completely turned things upside down. All of us on the office management team worked non-stop, especially during the first lockdown, to adapt our offices to the new health regulations and prepare for a return to the office. We in Milan sent our Cairo, Dubai and Addis Ababa offices necessary medical supplies that were difficult to get hold of at the time. We also organised a massive prevention and screening campaign for our people and their families: so far, we’ve carried out thousands of swabs and antibody tests.

What do you like doing in your free time?

Bettering myself. In fact, when I was a receptionist, I finished my bachelor’s in sociology at the University of Milan-Bicocca. And now I’m working on my master’s in management and service design. It’s not always easy to juggle my job and my studies, but BonelliErede really encourages its people to develop professionally and has always supported my desire for growth with great enthusiasm – and allow me to immediately put what I learn into practice.

I actually spend most weekends in London, so it’s not uncommon to catch me in the hallways on a Friday with a suitcase in hand. I consider myself lucky because I get to experience the best of two cities I love. I’ve always been passionate about travel – and whenever I get the chance to visit a new city, I always grab a snow globe as a souvenir to add to my collection!