For years, when companies wanted to go public, there were only a few obvious destinations: New York, London, maybe Hong Kong. Italy rarely made that shortlist. It wasn’t seen as a capital markets trendsetter. It wasn’t competing in the same league when it came to IPO innovation. But something interesting has changed. Italy has quietly introduced a new IPO governance framework — part of its broader Capital Markets Law reforms — and it’s forcing policymakers, investors, and cor

You’ve probably heard the phrase “shareholder democracy” tossed around at investor meetings or in financial news—but here’s the thing: in practice, it’s often more of a polite fiction than a reality. Most shareholders hold stakes, but few actually get a say in how a company is run. Meanwhile, the SEC —the watchdog of U.S. markets—sets rules that decide just how loud those voices can be. Why does this matter now? Because the stakes are higher than ever. From Wall Street giants