Biography
Benito holds a PhD in political-economic geography from the University of Durham and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management. He is passionate about the dynamics of local and regional economic development across Europe. This interest stems from Benito’s PhD research, in the mid-1990s, which explored the implications of regional economic disparities in Italy, through the lens of the politics of the Northern League (Lega Nord) party. Since then, this passion has guided Benito’s professional career in which he has had a unique mix of experience gained in academia, economic consultancy and as a policy practitioner in regional government affairs in Brussels. Between 2012 and 2022, Benito worked in the Management School (ULMS) at the University of Liverpool, during which time he published in international peer-reviewed academic journals in the field of regional economic development and also successfully secured over £1.6m in funding for research. Notably, Benito was Academic Director of Growth Catalyst, a European funded leadership development programme for small firms in the Liverpool City Region. Over 250 local entrepreneurs benefitted from completing Growth Catalyst which helped to drive growth and job creation in the local economy.
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