Ernesto Gismondi

Ernesto Gismondi holds a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Polytechnic of Milan and a degree in rocket engineering from the Vocational School of Engineering in Rome. Since the early 1960s, on the other hand, he has been involved in the design and manufacture of lighting technology. Together with the designer Sergio Mazza, he founded the company Studio Artemide. He established himself as an international designer who was one of the inventors of the avant-garde "Memphis" movement.

Over the years, under his leadership, the Artemide Group's market share and international reach grew, making it a major player in the field of designer lighting. This earned him many important recognitions, such as the Compasso d'Oro Award for Career Achievement and the European Design Awards. In 2009, he received the Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in the communications category. In 2018, he was again awarded the Compasso D'Oro, for lifetime achievement, with the following justification from the jury: "Aeronautical engineer, university teacher and entrepreneur, in short, a man of versatile talent. The founder of Artemide, who directly uses design processes as a significant factor and in this long process promotes and strengthens collaboration with the national and international design world. He is a consistent example of how design can be a concrete strategic lever for cultural and economic growth."