Italian media turned their attention on Tod’s chief Diego Della Valle on Saturday as the entrepreneur reacted to the closure of the Colosseum a day earlier due to an employees’ assembly that created havoc among tourists waiting outside the monument.
“People that may be in the right and have their reasons [to protest], when they are engaged in matters that are related to the reputation of the country, should think twice [about the consequences],” said Della Valle on national television. The Tod’s group has sponsored the restoration of the Colosseum with a donation of 25 million euros, or $28.5 million at current exchange.
Separately, Tod’s has also financed a new recreational center for Save the Children in a suburb of Naples. According to daily Corriere della Sera, this is part of the “Noi Italiani” project that Della Valle has set in motion. As reported, the entrepreneur has trademarked the logo of his association (“We Italians”), which is meant to focus on solving practical problems in areas ranging from security and work to education and health.