Biography Massimo Alberto Ottone is an Italian entrepreneur, with expertise in various industries like Interiors, Fashion and Economics. Massimo did his schooling from a private school education during his elementary days and has spent 13 years at Orsoline College in Como where he received his diploma in 2006. He finished his Graduation in BA from the Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore in Milan (Italy) in 2010. After finishing his academics, he joined his family’s business who were in the furniture industry and later eventually set-up his enterprises. It was because of his enterprising mindset and his great hold over the furniture business he was made the member of the prestigious Board of Young Entrepreneurs within Federlegno (Italian Federation of Wood-Furniture Industry Associations) from 2013 to 2016. Owing to his significant expertise and immense success over a small period he was appointed as a mentor by a leading graduate school of fashion and design in Gujarat in India. Over the last few years, he has had the opportunity to live in India for extended periods, helping him to build up a particular feel and ability in developing projects for SMEs in India. Massimo started his working career after his studies and founded Mast Elements (2010) a carbon fiber furniture company. This venture became an instant success and was considered one of the most prestigious companies in that sector in Italy and Europe, he left the company in 2013. Over the past, he has also collaborated with some leading Italian companies with worldwide branches. He learned to develop concepts and handle production of luxury commercial and retail shops, hotels, hospitality and residential furniture. This profile helped him to grow his experiences in design branch. In 2013, along with Tarak Shah (his business partner in all the ventures), he founded Design Italiano – an Italian firm handling and managing in India, through its showrooms, the distribution of high end luxury furniture Made in Italy. This international exposure helped him to comprehend Indian and European business policies, cultural aspects, procedures and practices to fully capitalize on various opportunities and managing potential threats. He is the partner as well as the art director of the company. In 2022 he established Exor Furniture Trading L.L.C. as a partner established with Mr. Shah, a company active in GCC and based in Dubai, specialised in multiple furniture tradings and projects development. In 2025 Massimo founded Ridgeback FZ-LLC, a U.A.E. based firm which provides design and interior design consultancy services and which distributes high end accessories products worldwide. Since 2024 he teaches as professor, History of Italian Design, through dedicated Masterclasses, in the Mumbai branch of the prestigious fashion and design University Istituto Marangoni. In the same year, Massimo was appointed as board of advisors member of TSOLR, the University of Luxury, based in Mumbai. As an individual, he believes in Oriental Bushido Philosophy. He firmly follows the seven virtues of Bushido and apart from being a great follower of the style, lifestyle and design world, he is very passionate about art, philosophy and animals. He believes in being the true Gentleman that everyone looks up to.
About Me
Son of a Carabinieri Colonel that then after became a business man, his mother was a small artisan who created accessories for fashion in an artistic way, he has breath since the early age the business air in family ambience and he has so quickly developed the desire of becoming a business man. He chose all schools with an economic path, and since the teen age, he followed his father in many business trips and fairs with the aim to learn as much as possible to become a good business man. This is the reason of his fully knowledge about design and furniture industry, fashion and in general lifestyle. He is one of the most expertise person about the Indian culture of business and market, lot of years spent dealing with India, made him one point of reference for Indian operations.
Expertise
Thanks to the education received since early age, he developed a strong moral and he is following the 7 Bushido Virtues and he has always showed a generous and altruistic soul trying to help whoever in need to be helped. He puts others first than himself and in 2005 he had an experience in India in Andra Pradesh where with some friends and their parents who were eye doctors they traveled for two weeks in villages of orphans and leprosy people taking care of them showing them real love and interest to take care of these people. Since that episode Massimo is actively involved in charity programs and initiatives in which yearly he adopted by distance some Indian children, now with his business partner Mr. Shah they have decided to allocate a yearly percentage of their companies profits for charity activities and sustain.
Philanthropy
History of Italian Design – Course Download History of Made in Italy – Masterclass Download Luxury Business Management Course Download
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