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Business and Society Program
Roberto Bocca
Roberto Bocca was the director of Emerging Consumer Markets for BP Alternative Energy until March of 2009. Since 2004, Roberto led the development of business to provide access to cleaner, safer, and affordable energy solutions to a large number of emerging consumers across the developing world. Starting in India, Roberto and his team pioneered innovative solutions, collaborative business models and products that enable BP to serve “emerging consumers” profitably and sustainably. They developed a distribution network of local entrepreneurs in over 3000 villages; by the end of 2008—in only four years—the number of Indian households using BP-fueled stoves had climbed to 400,000. The business is now exploring opportunities in the Asia Pacific.
Roberto joined BP in 1995 and held various roles in business development, sales & marketing, and supply & distribution in businesses across Europe, including France, and the UK. Prior to his most recent role in the emerging consumer markets, Roberto was the General Manager for Business Development in India, responsible for the growth of local refining and marketing activity and coordination of the wider BP agenda in the region. Before joining BP, he worked in finance at Telecom Italia and Finconsumo.
Roberto has participated in many worldwide conferences, including MIT’s SoL Global Forum and ANDE (Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs). His work for BP has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Microfinance Insights, YaleGlobal, and the Hindu Daily Times.
Roberto is an Italian national. He enjoys sports very much, runs marathons and is a qualified ski instructor. Roberto also enjoys playing the piano. He graduated from the Turin University of Business and Economics.