Giulia leads TSG’s Consumer Insights team, supporting diligence processes and portfolio company teams with actionable insights drawn from traditional market research methods and alternative data sets.
Giulia has spent her career deploying quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to inform data-driven strategies for brands, from product development to competitive landscape analyses, brand positioning, and beyond. Her work for clients has spanned CPG, tech, travel, fitness, healthcare, financial services, and more. She has worked with brands of all sizes, from startups to household names like Unilever, Danone, Mastercard, L'Oréal, Coca Cola, and Kraft Heinz. Giulia graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University with a dual degree in Sociology and Middle Eastern Studies.
Q&A
What attracted you to TSG?
It is rare for a Private Equity firm to have invested in building an insights function in house. I was inspired by the unique opportunity to partner with our portfolio companies and investment teams to build our insights arsenal, expanding into new data sets and using insights to help inform business decisions.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Though not a piece of advice I received myself, I find a lot of wisdom in this quote by the one and only Meryl Streep. When asked if she ever felt nervous when taking on a new character, she replied:
“Fear is a good thing. Fear is your friend. Everything that destabilizes you can help you. They taught us that in drama school. If you’re comfortable, you’re not doing your job. Most actors are constitutionally insecure. It’s sort of necessary.”
This extends well beyond acting and reminds me that growth comes from taking big leaps.
What brings you the most joy in your job?
I love teasing out nuggets of insight from data and getting to that “aha” moment. We are in such a unique era where consumers spontaneously share their perspectives online, through reviews, social media, search, etc. Mining the data that consumers are constantly putting out into the world and turning it into actionable insights about how they think and behave is one of the most exciting parts of the work.
What are your greatest sources of inspiration?
I always feel inspired and energized when traveling to new places, experiencing different cultures, languages, and ways of life. I was born in Rome and most of my family lives in Turin, Italy. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to spend the summers in Italy with our grandparents growing up. I’ve also spent 3-month stints in each Paris and Singapore, for school and work, respectively. These experiences remind me of the diverse viewpoints and lifestyles our world has to offer.