Paolo Petrocelli, PhD-EMBA-FRSA, is a senior performing arts manager driven by the belief that culture, arts and education are a major force for growth, development and change globally. Petrocelli is the Director General of the Accademia Stauffer of Cremona, institution recognized internationally for its excellence as an international point of reference for higher music education for strings, musicological research and lutherie. A passionate, innovative and dynamic manager with 12+ years experience in leadership positions in a wide range of institutions and organizations, he is an international relations and global cultural affairs expert. In order to serve as an active citizen and support non-profit activity, he has become a leading member of some of the most prestigious international organizations, including United Nations, UNESCO, World Economic Forum. As a cultural and music diplomacy ambassador, he serves in institutional roles to forge bonds through music and arts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the US. Top-level roles in the public and private sector have rounded out his cultural relations and senior arts administrator expertise, allowing collaboration with global leaders in performing arts management. In 2014, he has been appointed as one of the youngest members ever elected to the Board of Directors of Rome Opera House. To help shape the next generation, Petrocelli lectures at leading universities, including Yale University, MIT, New York University, Université Paris-Sorbonne. He is a contributor for Forbes, Huffington Post and a TEDx Speaker.