The Founder

@viasatgroup

The Evolution of an 'Italian Dream'

Domenico Petrone – Founder of Viasat Group

Domenico Petrone was born in 1950 in Corato (Ba) and in 1973 he took a diploma in Industrial Electronics in Turin. In 1973 he began to work for FASE, a company of Comau - Fiat Group. Thanks to his effort and intuition, in 1974, in garage, a first electronic laboratory was established. This will be the base for the set-up of Elem S.r.l. .Since its origin, Elem has distinguished itself for quality, flexibility and productive excellence in the electronic sector: these characteristics have been able to satisfy the requirements of important clients in the automotive, computer, telecommunication, security and defence sector. In the 1980s Exefin was founded for the consolidated management of the company activities and assets of the Elem Group, renamed Viasat Group S.p.a. in 2007.

The strong entrepreneurial spirit of Domenico Petrone represents the evolution of the business from the dawn of the electronics in a garage in the 70s to its recent development in the sectors of security and protection of means and persons. The excellence and the ongoing innovative research have guaranteed a primary role in the national and international section to Viasat Group.
During his 37 year experience in entrepreneurial activity, Domenico Petrone has had to reinvent the business to survive in the world of electronics. The need, the passion and the perseverance in realizing his dreams have allowed him and his companies to face adversities successfully, always reinventing the business, focusing on the process and not on the product, inside the competitive section of the electronics (in the course of the years the activity of research and development has generated many innovative patents which constitute a base for the introduction of the electronics in the industry and in the satellite technology). The ethical principles of the entrepreneur, shared by all his collaborators and represented by concepts such as a positive attitude, the learning and the ongoing improvement, the act of doing and of teaching how to do, the value of truth, fairness and beauty, have not changed in the course of the years.

Besides, the esteem between entrepreneur and his collaborators, the courage to dare and to risk in order to achieve a goal and to realize a dream has permitted the constant growth of the Group in the last years, both in terms of sales and marginality. In fact in the years, the company has obtained a self-financed growth which has created the necessary economic and financial conditions for the acquisitions made in the new millennium without recourse to financial borrowing. At the same time, the company evolved passing from producer of electronic cards to developer, integrator and producer of electronic systems with applications of innovative technologies.

Fond of the sea and navigation, Domenico Petrone faces the 37 year entrepreneurial adventure treasuring the training experience matured into years of navigation:
“Navigating you will acquire skills in facing a challenge or unexpected changes, you will learn to react with determination, to control and to overcome difficulties, following your emotions, hearth and instinct…”.

On January 23 th 2012, at Palazzo Mezzanotte - Milan, Domenico Petrone received the prize (sponsored by Ernst & Young) "The Entrepreneur of the Year 2011" category for Technology and Innovation. Meaningful are the reasons for which he was awarded: 'To be able to demonstrate, through significant achievements in 37 years, and through commitment, positive attitude, determination and guided by the values ​​it is possbile to build a better and successful  future '.

Milestones Viasat Group

In 1974 ELEM was born in a garage in Turin as producer of Electronic Systems and cards for the Automotive, Professional, Aeronautics and Military sectors.
Leadership of Product and Services of Security. Excellence, operative Quality and ongoing R&D activity are the base of its industrial and commercial success.

In 1991 the first productive plant in Venaria Reale (To) was acquired, evolving and developing Projects, Products and Technological and Productive capabilities. Thanks to the study concerning the integration of micro-processors with GSM and GPS units the first Navigation and Satellite Security System were born.

In 2003 Viasat was acquired and re-structured. It is a company leader in Italy in the Security, Protection and Satellite Localization Services, with base in Rome.
In 2007 Viasat Group was born, with the aim of developing the leadership in its own Core Business also through new acquisitions.
In 2009 it took a participation in Pointer Telelocation Ltd with the aim of strengthening its leadership in the sector, creating the conditions to assume an important role worldwide.
In 2010 the Group strengthened its presence on an international level through a series of agreements with the most important Association and European assistance transport systems and with new Industrial Partners.

The research in Innovative Technology, pursuing the Fairness, the Truth and the Beauty, characterizes the company based on strong ethical and shared values.