In 2020, Satispay—a rising digital payment app—set its sights on becoming a household name in Italy. Their game plan? A digital marketing campaign built to boost awareness and drive conversions. And to make it happen, they teamed up with one of Italy’s top creative agencies to tap into the power of influencer-driven content. Spoiler alert: It worked. Big time.
Over 100 YouTube creators—many of them discovered by the agency—jumped on board, dropping viral hits like Scottecs’ “Recensione dei soldi” and Corse’s “24h in auto” that quickly racked up millions of views. But the buzz didn’t stop on YouTube.
On TikTok, half the platform seemed to be dancing to “Devastante” by Il Pagante and Myss Keta. Instagram lit up with posts from a high-energy Pietro Morello concert in Turin. And Twitch fans tuned in as streamers like Il Masseo, Panetti, and Naska took their followers along on holiday adventures.
The real kicker? The whole campaign pulled off this multi-platform takeover with an average cost per thousand (CPM) of just €10—driving millions of views and tens of thousands of conversions in just a few short months.
Proof that with the right creators and strategy, you can do more than get noticed—you can take over the conversation.
As we spotlight the top 8 CEOs of influencer marketing agencies in Rome, we’ll take a deeper dive into the masterminds behind campaigns like this one—leaders who are pushing boundaries and transforming how brands connect with their audiences in the digital age.
Top 8 CEOs of Influencer Marketing Companies in Rome
In Rome’s fast-evolving digital marketing landscape, these CEOs are not only leading agencies but also shaping the future of influencer marketing in Italy and beyond. Their expertise, innovative strategies, and ability to blend data with creativity make them key players in an industry where influence is currency.
1. Moreno Galli
With over three decades in the fashion industry, Moreno Galli has built Fashion Concept into a powerhouse for event production, model casting, and influencer management. Since founding the agency in 1994, Galli has been at the forefront of Rome and Florence’s fashion scenes. Now, with an eye on expansion into Milan, his agency continues to shape Italy’s fashion landscape.
Galli's expertise extends beyond traditional event management—he's a storyteller, a trend forecaster, and a key player in merging fashion with influencer culture. His work includes coordinating high-profile fashion shows, live-streaming events, and leveraging social media influencers to amplify brand engagement. Having collaborated with major labels, he understands the power of digital presence in today’s industry.
For years, Galli has spoken of his passion for innovation, family-driven leadership, and evolving with industry trends.
2. Niccolò Quaglia
As the CEO and Co-founder of Cose Agency, Niccolò Quaglia has made his mark on Rome’s digital marketing scene. Over the years in charge, he has built a versatile company offering everything from branding and web development to social media management, influencer marketing, and event organization. Whether it's healthcare, fashion, real estate, or sports, Cose Agency crafts tailored strategies for a diverse range of industries.
A key strength of Quaglia’s agency is indeed influencer marketing. By collaborating with both micro and macro influencers, Cose Agency creates high-impact campaigns that resonate across Italy. In 2024, his agency was chosen to develop the brand identity and advertising for the European Athletics Championships in Rome, further cementing its reputation in the industry.
With a background in event planning, project management, and marketing, Quaglia blends strategy with creativity, helping brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving digital landscape. He also maintains an active social media presence, where he shares insights into his projects and industry trends.
Under Quaglia’s leadership, Cose Agency continues to push the boundaries of influencer marketing, proving that a well-executed digital strategy can turn brands into cultural touchpoints.
3. Jon Cook
Few marketing leaders have transformed an agency as profoundly as Jon Cook. With nearly three decades at VML, he has taken the company from a 30-person operation in Kansas City to a global powerhouse with 28,000 employees across 60+ markets. Under his leadership, VML has merged data, creativity, and technology to redefine brand engagement for some of the biggest names in the world—Microsoft, Ford, Coca-Cola, Intel, and Nestlé, to name a few.
In 2023, Cook spearheaded one of the industry’s most significant mergers—VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson combining into VML Thailand. The result? A marketing giant at the forefront of digital, commerce, and influencer marketing.
Speaking of influence, VML’s influencer marketing arm, Obviously, is a game-changer. With a network of over 4 million influencers, spanning from nano-creators to A-list celebrities, the agency doesn’t just follow trends—it fuels them. Leveraging its proprietary Brand Trust Network (BTN) and real-time campaign analytics, VML ensures brands get authentic, high-impact influencer partnerships that actually drive results.
Cook’s ability to blend creativity with strategic execution has earned VML numerous accolades, including Network of the Year honors and top rankings at Cannes Lions and Ad Age’s A-List. But beyond the awards, his real success lies in shaping how brands connect with consumers in a fast-evolving digital landscape.
4. Stefano d'Alberti
If there’s one thing Stefano d’Alberti knows, it’s how to make brands scale—fast. As the founder and CEO of SkyRocketMonster, he has spent the last six years transforming businesses across Europe with cutting-edge digital marketing, sales strategies, and influencer collaborations. With offices in Rome, Madrid, and Luxembourg, his agency helps brands expand both locally and internationally, making growth not just a goal, but a guarantee.
D’Alberti isn’t just a marketing expert—he’s also a sales coach, professor, and entrepreneur, bringing a holistic approach to digital strategy. From SEO and paid advertising to brand identity and influencer marketing, his agency covers all bases. SkyRocketMonster’s client list includes major names like Sfera Legale, CoinHouse, and MachineryScanner, proving its ability to drive real business results across industries.
When it comes to influencer marketing, SkyRocketMonster takes a data-driven approach, connecting brands with the right creators to maximize engagement and ROI. Whether it’s boosting visibility or driving conversions, the agency crafts campaigns that go beyond vanity metrics and deliver tangible success.
Beyond running a thriving agency, d’Alberti is a professor of digital marketing and SEO, sharing his expertise with the next generation of marketers. His passion for growth and innovation fuels both his agency’s success and his role as a mentor.
5. Luca Valente
Luca Valente, CEO and founder of Ploomia, is a prominent figure in Rome’s influencer marketing scene. Since establishing Ploomia in 2014, Luca has guided the agency to become a leader in digital marketing, specializing in customized influencer marketing strategies that deliver measurable results. His strategic vision integrates creativity, performance metrics, and data-driven insights, ensuring each campaign resonates authentically with target audiences.
Under his leadership, Ploomia has built a diverse network of influencers across multiple industries, connecting brands with the right personalities to amplify their messages. Luca’s approach emphasizes performance tracking, ensuring that every influencer collaboration is optimized for engagement, ROI, and long-term success.
Luca’s extensive background in digital marketing includes roles as Head of Digital at Facile Ristrutturare and SEO Consultant at Alitalia, where he honed his skills in boosting online presence and driving business growth. His experience has made him an expert in SEO, PPC, and lead generation, which he now applies to enhance Ploomia’s influencer campaigns.
In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Luca shares his knowledge as a lecturer at the Università degli Studi Niccolò Cusano, mentoring the next generation of digital marketers. With his blend of strategic thinking, technical expertise, and client-focused approach, Luca Valente is undoubtedly one of the top influencers in the influencer marketing space in Rome.
6. Michael Epstein
Michael Epstein, the Global CEO of Starcom, has been at the forefront of transforming the agency into a leader in influencer marketing since his appointment in 2021. With decades of experience, including leadership roles at Carat Global and Dentsu Aegis Network, Epstein brings a wealth of knowledge in digital transformation and performance-driven marketing.
Under his leadership, Starcom has significantly expanded its influencer network, enabling brands to connect with a diverse range of influencers across various sectors. This vast network, combined with a data-driven approach, ensures that every campaign is tailored for maximum engagement and measurable results. Epstein’s commitment to authentic content creation has helped Starcom craft influencer campaigns that foster genuine connections between brands and audiences, building long-term trust.
He’s also been instrumental in integrating performance marketing with brand-building efforts, ensuring that short-term goals align with long-term strategic visions. Starcom's influence has only grown under his guidance, with the agency winning Adweek's Media Agency of the Year in 2023.
A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusive marketing, Epstein’s approach has reshaped how influencer marketing strategies resonate with global audiences. By consistently driving forward-thinking campaigns, he continues to elevate Starcom’s reputation as an industry leader, always keeping clients at the heart of the agency's vision.
7. Massimo Romano
With a career spanning over 15 years at Spencer & Lewis, Massimo Romano has established himself as a driving force in Italy’s influencer marketing and communications industry. With Massimo at the helm, the agency has seen its expansion to Rome and Milan, combining data with human-centric storytelling to create impactful campaigns.
Under his leadership, Spencer & Lewis has been recognized as one of Italy’s top influencer marketing agencies, specializing in strategic platform selection, viral campaign execution, and influencer community management. The agency’s success is built on a structured, insight-led approach, using AI-driven analytics to match brands with the most relevant influencers and maximize engagement.
Romano has also championed the integration of traditional PR with digital influence, ensuring that influencer collaborations go beyond fleeting promotions to shape brand perception and long-term impact. His work includes crisis communication strategies for influencer campaigns, ensuring brand safety in high-exposure environments.
Beyond agency work, Romano is a respected thought leader, contributing to industry discussions, media training programs, and CEO activism initiatives.
8. Piermario Tedeschi
Few marketing leaders bridge academic expertise, digital innovation, and real-world business impact like Piermario Tedeschi. Under his leadership, Digital Angels, he has grown from a startup in 2012 to one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies, earning recognition from the Financial Times’ FT1000 and Deloitte’s EMEA Technology Fast 500™ for four consecutive years.
Digital Angels has built a reputation for using data in influencer marketing. The agency doesn’t just connect brands with influencers—it uses AI-powered insights, advanced analytics, and strategic media planning to ensure campaigns drive real engagement and ROI. With premium partnerships including Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, Tedeschi ensures his clients have access to cutting-edge tools and platforms.
Beyond business, Tedeschi is a thought leader. As an Adjunct Professor at Luiss Business School, he teaches Web Analytics and Digital Marketing, mentors young professionals through Mentors4U, and speaks at top industry events. His academic research on consumer behavior further cements his authority in marketing strategy.
The Visionary CEOs Driving Rome’s Top Influencer Marketing Firms
As Rome cements its status as a digital powerhouse, the CEOs of its leading influencer marketing firms are redefining brand engagement with innovative strategies. From fashion and luxury to tech and entertainment, these executives blend data, storytelling, and influencer partnerships to deliver high-impact campaigns.
Their firms offer services ranging from content creation to AI-driven analytics, ensuring brands connect authentically with their audiences. As the industry evolves, these CEOs continue to push boundaries, proving that the right mix of strategy, creativity, and influence can turn any brand into a cultural force in Italy and beyond.
