You know Taboola as a global leader in performance advertising, but what you might not know is that our success is driven by both our major global hubs and our strategic regional offices. Our Milan team is a standout example. A small, impactful group shaping the Taboola name in Italy and standing adjacent to other tech giants in the area.
Leading this charge is Chiara Ranno, Taboola Milan’s Country Manager, who is redefining what it means to lead in tech. She champions an agile, people-first approach that grants her team the kind of autonomy and impact usually lost in large companies. For Chiara, success isn’t only about the numbers; it’s about the agency of the people behind them.
Q: You joined Taboola after a successful career at Yahoo. What drew you to Taboola?
After the past few years in Business Ops and Strategy supporting international leaders across the EU and LATAM, I was looking forward to proving myself “on the field” in the market I know best: Italy. The Taboola opportunity was particularly interesting because it provided the challenge of a deep transformation and change management project. I’ve specialized in change management for years, so this was (and still is) an intriguing opportunity to align a global growth strategy with the local media landscape and build something durable.
Q: How does Taboola Milan’s “small but mighty” footprint give you an advantage against tech companies in Milan that are large, well-known, entities?
While the industry trend is to move ops & client services to remote hubs or rely purely on automation, we are integrating innovation and presence. We believe in the human factor. In Milan, we’re a team of about a dozen who offer a local enterprise client services team providing bespoke, data-driven consultancy rather than transactional relationships.
This attracts people who want to “own” their business as if it were their own company. That entrepreneurial attitude is what shapes our organization and differentiates us from the larger, more traditional companies nearby. We aren’t just a business entity; we’re local partners to the Italian media landscape.
Q: What’s the team’s core mission within the Italian media ecosystem right now?
At Taboola Italy, we bridge the gap between intent and discovery while respecting the user’s journey and premium-quality content. Our goal is to deepen our footprint within the premium Italian publisher ecosystem. We help publishers maximize yield, and marketers achieve meaningful connections through a foundation of trust and authentic user engagement.
Q: You view leadership as a “Counseling Practice.” How does that influence the daily culture of the Milan office?
I view leadership as a relational practice rather than a top-down hierarchy. I am actually graduating this June as a Counselor in Transactional Analysis, something that has fundamentally changed how I approach my work and my connections with others. An effective business strategy is inseparable from emotional intelligence.
We prioritize Psychological Safety. We operate in an “Adult-to-Adult” state where team members feel empowered to own their roles and their professional development. By fostering an environment where people feel safe to speak up and take risks, we build a resilient culture that naturally attracts the best talent in Italy.
Q: You’re focused on redefining the female narrative in the Italian tech sector. What’s your vision?
I want to move the conversation away from the “challenges” of being a woman in tech and toward the advantages of diverse, inclusive leadership. At Taboola Italy, female leadership isn’t an exception; it’s the standard. By lifting others through mentorship and advocacy, we collectively raise the bar for the entire industry. This is a place where ambition finds a platform.
Q: How does the team stay agile and aligned?
We stay aligned through weekly team meetings, which we call the “Beat,” but our 1:1s are where the real work happens. In these meetings, the employee is responsible for the agenda. They choose the topics and use methods like the STAR technique to structure their development. It ensures that everyone is an active participant in the office’s success, taking full ownership of their career path. We’re at the edge of technology, and while AI is part of most of our daily tasks, human interaction can bring a significant added value. While others focus on pure automation, we emphasise the partnership between machine intelligence and human intuition.
Q: Outside of the office, how do you disconnect and recharge?
I love to spend genuine time with friends and always love learning, but to re-center after busy days, I hike in the woods and practice Yoga and Pilates. I also spend a lot of time with Mino, my Jack Russell Terrier and our office mascot. He always helps me resurface my “inner child.”
Q: What should others expect when joining Taboola Italy?
Big changes require an open-minded attitude and a humble approach. My team succeeds through active listening, continuous upskilling, and genuine curiosity about what’s next. Whether it’s through a new partnership, a team milestone, or a thought-leadership piece, our team leads with integrity, strategic foresight, and a focus on the people who drive it. We position our local office not just as a business entity, but as a catalyst for transformation and empowerment where talent can thrive as humans and professionals.
Ready to realize your potential? Visit our careers page and get to know more about #TaboolaLife by exploring the Taboola Life blog.
