Giacomo Spinelli joined Hyphen in 2016 and recently oversaw the relocation of our Milan office which became necessary due to the growth of our business in Italy.
Giacomo began this year in a new role, as a director, so we spoke to him recently to find out more about this career change.
Congratulations on becoming a director. What are your expectations in this new role?
I’m not the kind of person who likes a title but knowing that I am a director gives staff and clients confidence, that I am someone who they can rely on to address questions and issues.
What are you most looking forward to in 2023?
I feel that we have created a very strong group of people here in Milan. There is a very good mood in the office. We recently issued our business plan for 2023 and 2024 and it is very optimistic. What we are proposing will be challenging but we have a group of people who have belief in what we want to achieve, and this is crucial for its success.
What does this achievement mean to you?
Since the opening of the office in Milan, my work here has become a big part of my life. I’m putting every effort into this and with joy because it is what I want to be doing.
What advice would you offer to others aspiring to become a director?
Simply be yourself and commit to what you are doing, whatever it is. There is no necessity to be special. I’m not special at all. The only thing is that you must really like what you are doing and put every effort into it. Then the result will come for sure. There is no possibility that it won’t happen.
What did you do to progress your career?
Before joining Hyphen, I collaborated with our London team as a local architect in Italy. The project was very complicated but what followed was three years of collaboration between us. I was then approached by Eddie Miles, our CEO, in 2017 to explore the idea of opening a Hyphen office in Milan because of the business opportunities here. It was a life-changing decision, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.
What might people not know about you?
Many years ago, I was a talented goalkeeper and was contacted by some technical people from Inter football club who attempted to recruit me for its youth team. It was many years ago now, but I still recall the Sunday morning when they visited my family home to talk with my parents. My parents declined their offer, saying that I had to carry on studying and forget about the football club…. Too bad that I couldn’t make my own life decisions at the time!