Francesca
Cima

Francesca Cima brings over 15 years of experience working with and within institutions, specializing in legislative and regulatory affairs, stakeholder engagement, policy communications and reputation management. She currently serves as Director and Head of Public Affairs, Italy, advising clients in diverse sectors including pharma, home appliances, agriculture, food & consumer goods and animal health.

Turning complexity into strategy

Before joining APCO, Francesca worked at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Health during Italy’s Presidency of the European Union and the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, in Lisbon, Portugal. She also served for two mandates on the board of ItaliaCamp, an Italian NGO that promotes social innovation in partnership with private companies.

During her time in Parliament, Francesca focused on legislative affairs and political communications across topics such as telecommunications, privacy, transport, gender equality and international relations, working with senior political leaders and State officials. At the Ministry of Health, she supported EU-level health initiatives during the Italian Presidency of the European Union. At the Council of Europe (CoE), she focused on the MENA region, overseeing a tripartite agreement between the CoE, the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco, covering youth, sports, women’s affairs and pharmaceutical regulation.

A graduate in political science from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Francesca holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, a MA in Afro-Asian Studies and a MA in Inter-Mediterranean Mediation. Having lived, studied and worked across Europe and the Mediterranean, she is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and has a basic knowledge of Arabic.