Gianpiero Menza, PhD, is a Senior Manager for Partnerships & Innovative Finance at the Alliance/CGIAR, where he leads strategic collaborations across public and private sectors. He is an international development professional with expertise in business strategy, management, entrepreneurship, development finance, stakeholder engagement, and resource mobilization. In his current role, Gianpiero forges partnerships between public institutions and private entities, cultivates relationships with governments—including Italy—and engages with research centers and universities. He manages institutional relations with the Italian government and coordinates CGIAR’s involvement in the Piano Mattei initiative, overseeing project origination and implementation across more than 12 countries. Combining a hybrid background in science and business, Gianpiero designed and currently leads the Accelerate for Impact Platform—a venture-oriented R&D initiative that bridges scientific research and entrepreneurship to support visionary teams tackling challenges at the nexus of agriculture, environment, and health. He holds an MA in Business Strategy and Entrepreneurship from Bocconi School of Management and earned his PhD with a thesis titled “Unlocking the Potential of Cross-Sector Partnerships: A Shared-Value Perspective.” Outside of his professional life, Gianpiero has a background as an elite athlete, having competed in both triathlon and sailing.