The WLA mourns the sudden passing of Fabio Cairoli. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
After more than twenty years’ experience in consumer goods for multinational organizations, with both local and international expertise, Mr. Cairoli joined Lottomatica Group S.p.A. in 2012 as Senior Vice President of Business. Following the formation of IGT PLC from Gtech S.p.A. and Lottomatica S.p.A., Mr. Cairoli served as Chief Executive Officer, IGT Italy, where he was responsible for managing all business lines, marketing services, and sales for the company’s Italian operations.
At the time of his passing, Mr. Cairoli was Chief Executive Officer, Global Lottery, IGT PLC. In this capacity, he was responsible for all IGT lottery business, including global lottery sales and operations, global lottery product and sales development, and global lottery technology and support. As Chief Executive Officer, Global Lottery, IGT PLC, Mr. Cairoli was recognized for his inspiring leadership, business acumen, and exhaustive knowledge of global lottery industry best practices.
Throughout his career, Fabio Cairoli was a valued member of the wider lottery and sports betting community. He was elected to the WLA Executive Committee meeting at the 2014 World Lottery Summit held in Rome, in which position he served with distinction until the end of 2020. He was also on the Executive Committee of the European Lotteries for a number of years. Held in high esteem by peers and colleagues alike, Mr. Cairoli was greatly respected for his knowledge and expertise and for his unwavering commitment to the lottery industry.
Fabio Cairoli was born in Milan, Italy, in 1965, and studied economics at the Catholic University in Milan. He spent part of his early career with Kraft Foods in Italy and the United Kingdom, where he worked in various capacities; he also worked with Julius Meinl Italia and with Motorola Mobile Devices Italy. He served as General Manager of Star Alimentare, a major Italian food company, where he successfully relaunched a historic brand.
Mr. Cairoli was subsequently appointed as Group General Manager and Board Member of Bialetti Industrie, a world-renowned Italian manufacturer and retailer of stove top coffee (espresso) makers and small household electrical appliances. During his tenure at Bialetti, he was responsible for turning the business around by refocusing strategy, streamlining costs, and optimizing the product portfolio and retail presence.
