e-residency sets its sights on italy
E-Residency has a new Country Manager for Italy: Meet Giuseppe Zenone, who is ready to meet ambitious Italian entrepreneurs exploring Estonia's business scene
Italy represents one of the most promising growth markets for Estonia’s e-Residency programme, with nearly 5,000 Italian e-residents already operating over 1,500 Estonian-registered companies. Many of these are location-independent professionals—freelancers, consultants, developers, and digital service providers—drawn to Estonia’s transparent digital business environment and the ability to run a fully online EU company.
However, the possibilities for developing this market are greater still—for example, in another key southern European market, Spain, there are twice as many e-resident companies formed. Italy represents untapped potential, and there are still significant cultural and administrative barriers to overcome. That’s where Giuseppe Zenone comes in.
Joining in March 2025, Giuseppe brings a wealth of experience, energy, and insight to his new role building awareness and engagement in the Italian market. An experienced business development professional with deep roots in both Estonia and Italy, he is uniquely positioned to connect with Italian entrepreneurs, demystify e-Residency, and form the partnerships needed to support growth.
From Sicily to Estonia: An entrepreneurial journey
Originally from Trappeto, a small Sicilian village near Palermo, Giuseppe’s story is one of resilience and curiosity.
His entrepreneurial spirit was evident early on when he launched a startup and a website for his hometown, showcasing the genuine heart of Sicily and offering not just holiday rentals but a full suite of traveller services: local excursions, airport transfers, and boat trips. "People thought I was a bit mad," he recalled with a smile, "but I always saw my village's hidden potential, and I truly believed in that vision.
His journey led him from Italy to Estonia, a move prompted by a significant personal connection.
In Estonia, he first worked with Scandinavian Airlines, helping with group bookings and supporting the Italian market. But it was his move to Pipedrive that truly marked the start of his tech-focused career.
Starting as a customer solutions expert in 2015, Giuseppe rose through the ranks to become a manager and later joined the business development team. His focus on creating strategic partnerships in Asia–particularly in Japan, India, and Southeast Asia–helped Pipedrive grow globally. “We needed to think about the local context–culture, language, currency,” he explained. “You can’t just copy and paste a European model.”
Passion for people and connection
Giuseppe’s passion for people and connection shines through when he speaks about his career. He firmly believes that business should be human-centred:
“For me, it’s all about dialogue–talking to people, understanding their needs, and finding ways to make things easier.”
He applied these insights at the strategic level at Pipedrive in developing the Asian market team, while staying deeply connected to the individual customer conversations. His approach was to listen first and understand, then develop local partnerships key to effective liaison in each region.
“Collaborating with local partners who deeply understand not just the language and the local business culture, but also the fact that they operate with a different local currency and utilise specific local software, was instrumental in truly helping these businesses thrive and grow using Pipedrive,” he explained. “Their on-the-ground expertise allowed us to tailor our solutions effectively to the end user’s specific needs.”
This passion for partnership as the key to business collaboration across cultural diversity made his transition to e-Residency a natural fit. Though Guiseppe had admired the programme from afar since its inception in 2014, as an Estonian resident, it hadn’t been relevant to him personally. It wasn’t until he spotted a LinkedIn post from Liina Vahtras, the managing director of e-Residency and another Pipedrive alumna, that he decided to apply. The rest, as they say, is history, on which he reflected:
“Estonia had always been more than just another place for me. It was a place that had welcomed me and inspired my growth–so this was the perfect next move in my career.”
Understanding the Italian market
Italy’s complex bureaucracy can make entrepreneurship feel overwhelming, and for many, digital solutions like e-Residency initially raise questions. “People think it’s too good to be true,” Giuseppe said. “They hear ‘digital company in Estonia’ and immediately wonder if it’s some kind of tax trick.”
As a former business owner himself, Giuseppe understands these concerns. “In Italy, you rely on accountants and tax advisers. There’s a fear of doing things independently,” he explains:
“Here in Estonia, the mindset is completely different. Everything is digital. You just log in, and it’s done.”
Yet these challenges also highlight the resilience of Italian entrepreneurs. “Especially in the south where I come from,” he pointed out, “it’s not easy for Italian entrepreneurs. You find many doors closed, and you have to keep knocking at them. It’s harder to find a community of other people who have already done it to share ideas with. “So, people can learn from Italian entrepreneurs who never give up, and don’t get influenced by others’ negativity, people who dismiss your ideas from the start.”
To build trust and bridge the cultural divide, Giuseppe is working closely with Italian business associations, accountants, and local advisers. “Local associations in Italy tend to already be dealing with those people who are more business-minded, more tech-savvy already, so it’s easier to talk about concepts like Estonian e-Residency.”
And at the heart of his work remains a strong commitment to personal connection.
“It all comes down to the mindset, and working through the resistance. I know I will need persistence. People expect face-to-face dialogue, and it’s different here [in Estonia] where everyone does everything on the computer, and government offices are closing in smaller towns. Italians do business with the handshake, the human touch, and we need to help them see the benefits of doing business in a more agile way.
“While the support of a commercialista [accountant] is often essential in Italy, particularly for navigating local regulations, e-Residency offers a more streamlined approach to administrative processes, especially for those with international ambitions. This can free up valuable time for business owners to focus on their core activities and expansion.”
Plans for the future: Winning hearts and minds, across the north-south European divide
Giuseppe’s 2025 roadmap includes attending major events like the Netcomm Forum in Milan, We Make Future in Bologna, and Italian Tech Week in Torino. “It’s about showing up, connecting, and being present,” he says. And this approach mirrors the importance of face-to-face connection in the Italian business world.
Beyond events, Giuseppe is establishing partnerships with service providers and accountants who can support e-residents on both sides of the border, on which he reflected:
“We’re not just promoting a digital tool; we’re offering a new way to think about business.”
Like many e-residents, new Italian entrepreneurs will need local tax advice for their personal affairs if nothing else. Indeed, one of the key challenges Giuseppe faces is bridging the cultural gap in attitudes towards taxation and bureaucracy between Estonia and Southern Europe.
One persistent challenge is the differing attitudes towards tax and governance. In countries like Italy and Spain, relationships with tax authorities are often cautious, with entrepreneurs relying heavily on trusted intermediaries to navigate opaque rules. Estonia, by contrast, offers a competitive tax system built on transparency, simplicity, and digital access.
For Giuseppe, building understanding around this contrast is crucial. By fostering local partnerships and offering clear explanations, he aims to show how Estonia’s e-Residency programme can offer Italian entrepreneurs something genuinely transformative: not as a workaround, but as a more efficient and empowering way to run a global business.
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Why Giuseppe’s role matters, for Estonia and the e-Residency community
With a population of over 58 million and a thriving freelance and SME sector, Italy represents a key growth market for e-Residency. Unsurprisingly, it’s the 6th fastest growing market for e-Residency, by country.
Giuseppe’s work is therefore not just about promotion—it’s about supporting a significant and growing community of Italian entrepreneurs already embracing digital business in Estonia, while helping many more to overcome barriers and get started. This appointment marks a significant step for e-Residency as it continues to grow its presence in Italy. His personal connection to the challenges Italian entrepreneurs face, combined with his extensive business development experience, positions him uniquely to build trust and drive growth, as the programme settles into its second decade.
For Giuseppe, this role is not just a job: it’s a way to give back to the country that has become his home.
"Estonia welcomed me and gave me so much. I want to give back by helping others see the opportunities here.”
As e-Residency continues to evolve and adapt to new challenges, Giuseppe’s enthusiasm and determination are sure to make a lasting impact. With his strategic vision and people-focused approach, per l’e-Residency in Italia, il meglio deve ancora venire!
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