Career biography

Massimiliano Mio is an international legal executive with more than twenty-five years of experience advising global businesses on strategic transactions, corporate governance, large-scale projects, high-value disputes, regulatory matters, compliance and risk management. He currently serves as Chief Legal Officer of MSC Cruises SA, where he leads a global legal organisation comprising more than 50 lawyers across multiple jurisdictions and advises the company’s shareholders, Board and senior management on strategic and business-critical matters.

Over the course of his career, Massimiliano has developed a reputation for combining rigorous legal analysis with a pragmatic, business-oriented approach. His expertise spans complex commercial contracting, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, major infrastructure and development projects, litigation, insurance, and international dispute resolution. He has extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams and navigating legal and regulatory challenges across multiple jurisdictions.

Since joining MSC Cruises in 2015, Massimiliano has overseen the legal aspects of many of the company’s most significant strategic initiatives. His responsibilities include managing relationships with external counsel worldwide, negotiating and overseeing key commercial agreements, supporting corporate acquisitions and partnerships, directing legal strategy in connection with major disputes and regulatory matters, and helping shape the company’s governance, compliance and risk-management frameworks.

Among the landmark projects he has supported are the development of a new inhabited island destination in the Caribbean, the construction and operation of MSC Cruises’ flagship cruise terminal in Miami, the implementation of the company’s initial compliance structure, and the legal support for its long-term global partnership with Formula 1. His work has consistently focused on enabling business growth while protecting the organisation’s legal, financial and reputational interests.

In parallel with his responsibilities at MSC Cruises, Massimiliano has held senior governance positions within related businesses and infrastructure ventures. Since 2018 he has served, on a rotational basis, as Chairman or Chief Executive Officer of TAMI S.r.l., representing MSC Cruises as a major shareholder and contributing to the development and governance of cruise terminal operations in Trieste.

Before joining MSC Cruises, Massimiliano spent seventeen years with RINA S.p.A., one of the world’s leading classification, certification and inspection groups, where he served as General Counsel. During his tenure, he led the company through significant corporate transactions, major litigation arising from maritime casualties, governance and compliance initiatives, and the restructuring of the Group’s insurance programmes. He also conceived, established and chaired the Group’s reinsurance captive, strengthening RINA’s risk-financing capabilities and contributing to a more sophisticated approach to insurance and risk management. In addition, he chaired RINA Services S.p.A., the Group’s principal operating company for certification and inspection activities, further expanding his experience in board governance and executive leadership.

A qualified Italian lawyer, Massimiliano graduated with honours in Law from the University of Genoa and has built an international career working across Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East. He is fluent in Italian, English and French, and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Throughout his career, he has been recognised for his strategic judgement, negotiation skills, international outlook and ability to deliver practical solutions in complex, highly regulated and global business environments.