a cura della Redazione
Il prof. Emilio Iodice è nato e vissuto nella piccola Ponza di New York, nel Bronx, collaborando con i genitori nel commercio di un piccolo negozio alimentare.
Si è mantenuto agli studi con il suo lavoro fino alla laurea in Economia, gli studi specialistici, e il dottorato in economia.
A 32 anni è diventato il più giovane esecutivo di carriera nella storia della diplomazia americana, nomina non politica.
Ha poi svolto da quel tempo l’incarico di consigliere del Presidente degli Stati Uniti, a cominciare da Nixon.
Parla cinque lingue, oltre al ponzese, che ha imparato dai genitori emigrati e dei quali va orgogliosissimo.
Per 20 anni è stato impegnato nel corpo diplomatico statunitense, con incarichi prestigiosi in Brasile, Messico, Italia, Spagna, Francia, dove si è occupato degli affari diplomatici dell’Europa, dell’America latina, della Russia e dei paesi ex comunisti.
Medaglia d’oro per eroismo, per aver salvato vite umane durante il terremoto in Messico del 1985, è il più decorato del corpo diplomatico dell’intera storia americana.
Passato successivamente al settore privato, per 5 anni ha lavorato per la Lucent Tecnologies, del gruppo AT&T Inc., con l’incarico di vicepresidente, occupandosi dei sistemi di telefonia cellulare in 80 paesi del mondo.
Vicepresidente della Loyola University di Chicago, ha diretto per dieci anni il campus di Roma.
Ha scritto e pubblicato sei libri, l’ultimo dei quali “Leadership e coraggio”, che sta riscuotendo un grandissimo successo in tutto il mondo e che a breve sarà edito anche in italiano (leggi qui la presentazione sul sito).
È professore di leadership, organizza consulenze e seminari, l’ultimo dei quali a Londra, appena una settimana fa, diretto al più grande gruppo di avvocati internazionali.
Ha ricevuto numerose medaglie d’oro quale riconoscimento della sua attività diplomatica.
I suoi interessi, oltre a quelli culturali, vastissimi, sono Ponza e la sua famiglia.
Con grande abnegazione e altruismo, si è offerto a sostenere la lista capeggiata da Franco Ferraiuolo, nelle prossime elezioni amministrative isolane, indirizzando i suoi interventi soprattutto ai giovani, perché preservino la grande ricchezza della nostra isola, la custodiscano con cura e siano promotori di una nuova leadership isolana, in grado di affrontare e risolvere i gravi problemi di cui Ponza soffre da troppo tempo.
Negli incontri sta illustrando nuove prospettive di sviluppo e di occupazione possibili a Ponza, alla luce della sua vasta esperienza internazionale che non ha mai però perduto di vista la sana tradizione isolana.
Profilo biografico (in inglese)
Emilio Iodice
Director Emeritus
Loyola University Chicago
John Felice Rome Center
Emilio Iodice was born in the South Bronx in 1946. He was the son of immigrants from the island of Ponza in Italy. He grew up in a truly bi-cultural environment: living in Little Italy and America at the same time. He received his BS in Business from Fordham University, his MBA from the Bernard Baruch School of the City University of New York and was named to BETA GAMMA SIGMA, the honorary society of distinguished graduates in Business. He conducted doctoral work in international business and applied finance at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Iodice spent over four decades as a senior executive in the public and private sectors, as an educator and as a university administrator. Those forty years of experience included being a key official in Washington working for several Administrations, serving as a confidential adviser to the President, and reaching the top ranks of the civil service and the diplomatic corps.
He was among the most decorated officers in American history with a Gold Medal for Heroism, a Gold Medal and Silver Medal for Exemplary Service, nominations for the Bronze Medal and numerous commendations and citations. He served as Minister in key US missions abroad including Brasilia, Mexico City, Rome, Madrid and Paris and departed after being named to the list of future Ambassadors.
Among his honors were being knighted by the former king of Italy. He received Medals of Honor from Spain and Italy. At age 33, he was named by the President to the prestigious Senior Executive Service as a Charter Member. He was the youngest career public official to reach this distinction.
Before joining Loyola he was Vice President of Lucent Technologies in charge of operations in numerous countries and later taught full time as an Assistant Professor at Trinity College in Washington, DC. He joined Loyola in 2007 as Director of the John Felice Rome Center. After one year he was promoted to Vice President. After serving for nine years as Vice President and Director, he was awarded the title of Director Emeritus on June 30th, 2016.
He spoke several languages and traveled across the globe. His passions in life were the Rome Center, its students, faculty and staff, Loyola University, good music, writing and reading, his family and, in particular, his four grandchildren. His academic field of study was “leadership”.
He wrote and published numerous peer reviewed articles on leadership in the Journal of Values Based Leadership of Valparaiso University in Indiana.
In 2012 his bestselling book on tenor Mario Lanza was published entitled, “A Kid from Philadelphia, Mario Lanza: The Voice of the Poets.” In 2013 his second book, “Profiles in Leadership from Caesar to Modern Times” was published by North American Business Press along with “Sisters,” the story of two extraordinary people, his mother and aunt.
In 2014 he published “Future Shock 2.0, The Dragon Brief 2020,” and “Reflections, Stories of Love, Leadership, Courage and Passion.”
In 2016 he launched, “2016, Selecting the President, The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make. 2016.” In 2017, his new book will be published: “When Courage was the Essence of Leadership, Lessons from History.
