FMW Storytelling –The Story of Success of Franco Salvetti, BASF Commercial Excellence.

Interview to a young resource of Agricultural Solutions Division of BASF.

Franco Salvetti is one of those professional figures that generally arouses a great deal of surprise. Indeed, his curriculum vitae has quite a few revelations: during his study path he focused on sciences and agricultural technologies, nevertheless, he always kept an eye on economics and marketing.  Franco graduated in Marketing and Economics of the Agro-Industrial System at Bologna University. Afterward, he continued his studies with a master’s degree in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies. All this knowledge allowed him to become Commercial Excellence of the Eastern Area of Italy for BASF, starting from the Young Graduates Program. This project – conceived by the chemical global-leader company BASF – is thought to look for young talents with the aim of forming them professionally and allowing them to build a rising career.

Future Manager contacted Franco Salvetti to ask him a couple of questions in order to shed light on the dynamics that precede and lead to a professional success.

Good morning Franco, thank you very much for accepting this interview.

• You are an example of how having multiple interests – apparently separated from each other – and being able to deepen them through an academic path can lead to eclectic and strategic job roles inside a company. How would you describe your position as Commercial Excellence? What does the Agricultural Solutions division do exactly?
  Good morning everyone and thank you very much for the interview!
  I entered the Agro Solution division four years ago thanks to the Young Graduates’ Program. Today I am with great pleasure and satisfaction Commercial Excellence of the Eastern area of Italy. I collaborate actively with many different other departments of BASF in order to elaborate strategies that can support the sales of our products. Our division operates in a market that sells solutions to protect our clients crops (private sellers, associations, etc) that, in their turn, supply agricultural holdings. The main aim of my job is to operate in close touch with our clients, about 150 in the area, and to know each one’s needs, trying to create a win-win offer that supports the business development and the clients themselves. It is a stimulating and diverse task because every single client has unique characteristics and, at the same time, operates in completely different scenarios and production chains.
  The passion that I have always had for the agricultural sector, enthusiasm, determination, and the orientation of the client are the key ingredients that provide me new incentives and ideas to elaborate offers, services, and activities in line with the expectations and needs of our clients.

• We know that you started your path in BASF through the Young Graduates’ Program. How did you know about this program and what could you tell us about your first period within this company?
  It is strange to think that four years have passed by since I entered in the company building to go through the selection phase. I learned about this program as soon as I graduated from university: I remember I was looking for a job and my goal was to work for a big multinational of the chemical sector. In that very moment, BASF announced the second edition of the Young Graduates Program and, seeing the advertisement on many communication platforms, I applied for the selections and, subsequently, I was in the team together with other two candidates. I am happy to remember my first months in BASF. Even though I was the last one that was hired and that arrived at the workplace, after a first introductory period of onboarding, the company started assigning me three projects of one-year. These three projects allowed me to get to know different departments’ teams and I had the opportunity to work simultaneously with the marketing, sales, and regulatory departments.
  Afterward, about one year after the Young Graduates’ Program, I entered in the Commercial & Digital Excellence and from Cesano Maderno I moved to the East Area, in order to be in close touch with our clients.
  With this program, BASF is investing in young graduates’ and is allowing them to grow within the company. I am sure that – since I had the luck to interact and collaborate with some colleagues that entered in BASF through this project – it is a unique possibility for a young graduate and that it would be a pity for a talented person to lose it!

• Who are your typical interlocutors? With whom do you interact daily, and which qualities are indispensable and vital for your job?
  I interact daily with the Area Manager, sales agents, technicians, and many other colleagues of the worksite, and according to the typology of the activity that was programmed on the territory. For instance, one year ago we launched a new digital service on the market that we sell through distributors to wineries : in order to create a new innovative product a coordination of various company figures was necessary, together with a planning of actions and of agricultural holdings. This promoted the instrument that we developed and increased sales.
  Working in close contact with many colleagues and clients of the agricultural sector, where many services on retailers are offered in specific periods of the year according to the season, it is necessary a detailed planning of investments and activities that we intend to carry on. Moreover, analyzing the market and the performance of our clients are other significant factors to evaluate the success of the activity.
  To work with a company like BASF allowed me to grow both professionally and as a person, thanks to the passion for the sector I work in, the professionalism of the work-team, and the determination to contribute to the goals’ achievement.

• We are greedy of advice! What would you tell to someone that wished to start a similar career path? With which kind of behaviour and attitude should you go face the selection?
  What I want to say to a young graduates is to be full of energy and willingness to challenge themselves with companies such as BASF, that, I repeat, invests in young generations.
  In different phases of the selections, you will surely find many young motivated graduates with different backgrounds. It is an experience that I advise to go through with serenity. You should demonstrate that you are genuine, proactive, but never competitive, trying to enhance personal and educational skills that you have acquired throughout your studies.

If you are full of enthusiasm and you wish to pursue a career in line with your ambitions, take this opportunity! 😉

We thank Franco Salvetti for his story and we wish him all the best for his future!

BASF – Young Graduates Program 2024

BASF Italia has announced the 2024 edition of the Young Graduates Program. This program is aimed at hiring young, talented, and recently graduated profiles. If you are interested in challenging yourself and growing in an international environment, then come and join us! BASF needs you! Found out more about this project on: