Oscar Farinetti was born in 1954 in Alba, he graduated from Govone classical lyceum. He attended four years of a degree course in Business and Economics at the University of Turin, but dropped out just short of finishing and started working at his father's company. From 1978 to 1988 he worked in the food sector in his family's supermarkets. In 1989 he launched a chain of stores called Unieuro specializing in electrical goods and electronics. In 2003 he sold the company and went back to the food business. In 2004 he founded Eataly and took out a stake in many high-quality food and beverage companies. He has been married to Graziella since 1978. They have three sons, Francesco, Nicola and Andrea, who all currently work for the Eataly Group. In 2008 he wrote Coccode, a book on his marketing ideas, published by Giunti in 2009. That same year his biography, Il mercante di utopie, written by Anna Sartorio, was published by Sperling and Kupfer. In 2011 he wrote 7 mosse per l'Italia, and in 2012 he wrote the essay devoted to harmony for Lezioni di cittadinanza, Edizioni Gruppo Abele. Shigeru Hayashi was born in Shizuoka-ken, Japan, in 1954, he graduated in Business and Economics from Saitama State University in 1978. In 1982 he was working in Milan for Suntory Ltd., the company he has been working for since leaving college. He has spent long periods of time in Italy, at first as head of the Suntory restaurant in Milan, and later as Chief Representative for the same company. Thanks to his travels between Italy and Japan he is now one of the greatest connoisseurs of Italian food and wine. He has been awarded many prizes both in Italy and Japan, and has authored several publications on the themes he is fondest of: wine, food, and hospitality. In 2005 he founded SoloItalia Co. Ltd. (Wine and Food Business Consulting). He has been chairman of Eataly Japan since 2009. Oscar Farinetti was born in 1954 in Alba, he graduated from Govone classical lyceum. He attended four years of a degree course in Business and Economics at the University of Turin, but dropped out just short of finishing and started working at his father's company. From 1978 to 1988 he worked in the food sector in his family's supermarkets. In 1989 he launched a chain of stores called Unieuro specializing in electrical goods and electronics. In 2003 he sold the company and went back to the food business. In 2004 he founded Eataly and took out a stake in many high-quality food and beverage companies. He has been married to Graziella since 1978. They have three sons, Francesco, Nicola and Andrea, who all currently work for the Eataly Group. In 2008 he wrote Coccode, a book on his marketing ideas, published by Giunti in 2009. That same year his biography, Il mercante di utopie, written by Anna Sartorio, was published by Sperling and Kupfer. In 2011 he wrote 7 mosse per l'Italia, and in 2012 he wrote the essay devoted to "harmony" for Lezioni di cittadinanza, Edizioni Gruppo Abele. Shigeru Hayashi was born in Shizuoka-ken, Japan, in 1954, he graduated in Business and Economics from Saitama State University in 1978. In 1982 he was working in Milan for Suntory Ltd., the company he has been working for since leaving college. He has spent long periods of time in Italy, at first as head of the Suntory restaurant in Milan, and later as Chief Representative for the same company. Thanks to his travels between Italy and Japan he is now one of the greatest connoisseurs of Italian food and wine. He has been awarded many prizes both in Italy and Japan, and has authored several publications on the themes he is fondest of: wine, food, and hospitality. In 2005 he founded SoloItalia Co. Ltd. (Wine and Food Business Consulting). He has been chairman of Eataly Japan since 2009.