Climate work, for Máximo Miccinilli, is a long game. It demands foresight, restraint, and the nerve to make decisions whose payoffs may take years to materialize. Over 20 years ago, his path changed course when he proposed writing a thesis on EU defence policy. His mentor was not convinced. “That rejection led me to pivot,” Máximo shares. He instead turned to Russian pipelines and European energy security, a topic that would later define his professional course.
What began as a study of geopolitics grew into something broader. As the global climate agenda accelerated, particularly after the COP21 in Paris, Máximo began to comprehend the scale of the crisis fully. “Emissions don’t have flags,” he reflects. “They happen because we produce things. We are a consumer society.” Climate action is often compared to “man on the moon.” But Maximo feels it’s more like a full-blown mission to Mars. A mind-bending technical hurdle, a political quagmire, and a call for global unity so massive, it seems almost out of reach.
In this evolving environment, he found a space that brought together everything he valued: political systems, economic structures, scientific inquiry, and principled risk. He believes real progress comes from those who are willing to accept short-term discomfort to protect long-term futures. For the past fifteen years, he has worked at this intersection, helping shape Europe’s response to one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
Now, as Senior Vice President and Head of Energy and Climate at FleishmanHillard EU, Máximo helps organizations navigate regulation and Policy-Making with clarity and composure. His approach is grounded in practical wisdom and long-range vision. For him, the climate transition is not a race to the finish. It is a generational handoff.
The Professional North Star
Máximo leads through what he calls “collective intelligence,” drawing on the wisdom of senior advisors in their 60s and the unfiltered perspective of 21-year-old interns. Every voice is a data point in his decision-making map. The goal isn’t consensus but clarity through contrast.
This mix strengthens how the team handles complexity. Energy and climate debates don’t progress linearly; they lurch, reset, and intensify. That’s why Máximo supports open minds, fast reflexes, and a bias toward bold foresight.
He observes we are no longer in an environment of stability but in a “no-new-normal” phase, where rules and risks shift overnight. With energy and climate dominating headlines, he believes there’s no room for complacency. Staying ahead means advising with agility, creativity, and the courage to act before the dust settles. Máximo defines what it means to lead through transformation. His inclusion among the “Top 10 Visionary Business Leaders Transforming Business in 2025” doesn’t predict his impact. It affirms it.
The Hard Reset of Leadership: Challenging the C-Suite
“Leadership today is not about simply pleasing C-level executives or expert clients, nor is it about chasing large budgets and trying to create value retrospectively,” Máximo remarks.
At the intersection of sustainability and business transformation, he sees power not in persuasion but in precision. His leadership rests on what he calls a 90:10 ratio: 90% listening, 10% asking the hard questions, even when it’s uncomfortable.
He feels transformation is never frictionless. It’s slow, complex, and often marked by internal conflict at the Board level. Leadership, he believes, is tested not in consensus but in the courage to act.
“One of the greatest values I bring, together with my incredible team,” he adds, “is the courage to challenge C-level decisions when needed.” His team is encouraged to speak up, push back, and stay anchored in long-term value, even when that unsettles powerful rooms.
Fighter First, Passion Always
If Máximo had to choose one word to describe himself, it would be “fighter.” Born with a heart condition so severe that doctors gave his parents a 50/50 chance, he learned early that survival wasn’t promised. Two surgeries by age four left scars that never disappeared. “You go take a shower, play tennis, they’re always there,” he says. When his son once asked if he’d ever remove them, he answered without hesitation: “No. It’s me. The scars shaped my entire life.”
That early battle influenced everything, from his mindset to the way he engages with the world. If leadership were an app, Máximo’s would be refined through lived experience, not polished highlights. The first reset came at 14, when a cardiac episode ended his future in tennis. Another followed after he secured what seemed like a dream role in an Italian ministry, only to feel adrift and betrayed by his own ambition. Burnout arrived in 2014. It was a full-body rebellion against overdrive.
Each moment became a forced update, reshaping his sense of strength, drive, and direction. “And when I stop being a fighter,” he adds, “I’m a passionate person.” Passion for books, for helping others, for excellence, for beauty in the everyday. He describes these two forces, fighting and passion, as ever-present influences that move through everything he does.
Bursting the Bubble
There was a time when Máximo believed velocity was everything. He poured himself into his work, often clocking 13 to 15-hour days, travelling constantly, and engaging in relentless policy sprints, driven by the conviction that energy and ambition alone would carry him. “I thought I was untouchable,” he recalls. Until his body gave out. What followed wasn’t a breakdown. It was a reckoning.
That moment became a turning point. Máximo began seeking guidance from CEOs, peers, and coaches who helped him face an uneasy truth: “You can’t sprint through a marathon.” Gradually, he reconstructed his lifestyle and mindset, adopting rituals that nurtured both physical stamina and mental lucidity. He stopped equating leadership with momentum and began measuring it by presence.
As he deepened his engagement in climate diplomacy, collaborating with commissioners, ministers, and global CEOs, he saw how local viewpoints could distort global priorities. A pivotal moment occurred at the COP summit, where encounters with delegates from around the world reframed his sense of Europe’s role. “It made me realize how small Brussels can feel, how much the world is changing,” he shares. It’s a lesson he carries forward: the need to “burst your own bubble” and stay open, grounded, and globally aware.
Grid Balancing Starts Within with The Power of Saying ‘No’
Some lessons only crystallize when life demands more than leadership. For Máximo, that moment came at home, during a pandemic, with a newborn in his arms. “I used to think the extra mile was always worth it,” he shares. “But 10 extra miles a week breaks you.”
Burnout didn’t sneak up, and it knocked him down. Illness followed. And then, slowly, came the recalibration. Therapy, discussions with doctors, honest conversations with colleagues and his wife, and a willingness to ask for help helped him recalibrate.
He still loves his work. He still feels the pull of duty. That tension hasn’t disappeared. But the way he manages it has. He’s learned to say no, to protect his time, and to prioritize what truly matters. When his son has a school event and a meeting overlap, the choice is simple: his son.
At home, his wife is an important part of his support system, reminding him that drained energy drains impact.
The Right Call
When Máximo turned 40, he found himself at an inflexion point. After years in government, think tanks, and associations, he was ready to develop something new. Then came a call from FleishmanHillard’s leadership. “We need your policy experience and leadership to build a team,” CEO said. Her sincerity resonated. He had other offers, but this one felt real.
He accepted not just to join a consultancy but to redefine what it could be in Brussels. He pledged to expand the team in two years and delivered. Fleishman gave him the freedom to cultivate a culture grounded in excellence, intellectual discipline, and lightness of spirit. Today, he leads a multinational group of former businessmen, EU officials and talented young professionals from more than 15 countries. What drew him then and still powers him now is the belief that shaping the future begins with investing in people. But was it seamless? Not entirely. While others meet their teams in hallways, he found his footing in hyperlinks.
Culture That Holds
He joined virtually, midway through the pandemic, with no handshakes, just uncertainty. Yet from the start, Máximo focused on one thing: confidence. Across digital rooms and hybrid models, his team came through. The work became more efficient. The relationships are surprisingly richer.
As offices reopened, they didn’t enforce attendance. They offered purpose. That flexibility, Maximo says, became a quiet draw for emerging talent. People showed up by choice. Revenue soared. His team tripled. The culture held. Maximo knows real progress hits differently. It’s when the team shines with self-assurance and clients believe in the process, not just the person.
‘People’— The Most Powerful and Enduring Project
Projects come and go. People, if you get it right, stay. That’s the achievement Máximo holds closest. Since joining, he has helped land 40 to 50 new clients and scale the firm’s global reach. However, what resonates most is the team he built from scratch. Some early hires are still there, now part of a culture forged on mutual conviction and cross-cultural momentum spanning over 20 nationalities.
In Brussels, consulting often acts as a springboard. Máximo set out to create something that endures. At FleishmanHillard, young professionals learn and gain access, from briefing CEOs to organizing global summits and attending events like COPs, New York Climate Week and Davos. “We mix knowledge, culture, and passion,” Maximo asserts, “and clients feel we’re part of their team.” It is not just about outcomes but about cohesion.
Green Mandates Only: Building Credibility by Saying No
Every project Máximo takes on must pass a climate credibility check. His team assesses the coherence between a company’s public commitments and its actual sustainability practices. Those who fall short? Declined. This is policy in action, not a marketing tactic.
He emphasizes, “We are not consultants for hire. We are strategic advisors who won’t support programs that go against the direction of credible climate policy.” His team works within internal guardrails that allow them to reject mandates misaligned with long-term environmental goals. This selectivity drives tangible impact and draws the next generation of talent. Young professionals gravitate toward roles with authentic purpose, seeking to contribute to something consequential. Máximo ensures that by holding every engagement to uncompromising standards of future-focused integrity.
Advising with Voltage
Giving advice is one of humanity’s most crucial and captivating roles, a core part of how we build organized societies. From the Oval Office to the tennis court, from presidents to billionaires, everyone needs sharp guidance. Yet, in the energy sector, the risks are amplified, and the path to mastery is tougher. It’s a much higher voltage. Maximo knows this deeply, and he wants every young, aspiring leader to grasp this key lesson: “This is a deeply complex field, and you won’t be able to advise meaningfully just by reading the latest reports or querying ChatGPT.” He believes becoming a trusted advisor is a gradual, deliberate journey—one that demands stamina, depth, and intellectual curiosity. Credibility isn’t granted. It’s earned.
In his experience, CEOs are often more open to well-informed external advisors than to their own teams. But motive matters. If the drive is status or gain, the foundation crumbles. Maximo feels the real reason here must be knowledge pursued not for prestige but to help others make better choices at the right time, in the right setting. That’s where advisory power begins at the intersection of mastery, ethics, and influence.
Coaching the Next Climate Strategists
Máximo has come to see mentoring young professionals in sustainability and public affairs as a nuanced yet deeply gratifying pursuit. He reflects that no one truly understands this profession until they’ve lived it for several years and kept evolving. That, he believes, is one of its most compelling aspects: it’s a continuous journey.
His coaching style is week-to-week, grounded in dialogue, reflection, active listening, and helping emerging talent discover role models who resonate. This generation is tech-fluent, intellectually agile, and deeply attuned to global fault lines, from climate change to geopolitical strain. Máximo often draws on sport, particularly tennis, to illustrate values that matter.
“I frequently speak about Jannik Sinner, someone I truly admire. At just 23, he shows how leadership can be a blend of humility, relentless focus, and a passion for progress,” he delineates. “Those are values that translate powerfully into any field. If he can do it, why can’t we all pursue that in our own domains?” That, perhaps, is Máximo’s quiet method for shrinking the distance between raw potential and real-world influence.
A Definition of Success Grounded in People
“To me, success is deeply tied to building teams that can thrive collectively at their fullest potential,” explains Máximo. This philosophy has underpinned his leadership for years. He helps individuals identify their zones of confidence, knowing that trust, development, and assurance often emerge from that grounding. His emphasis lies in cultivating rhythm, clarity, and quiet cohesion.
According to him, achievement means witnessing the ensemble in flow, each person in the right place, elevating what once seemed unattainable. What inspires him most is not only the team’s results, but the distance each individual travels along the way. When that shift occurs, performance becomes a natural outgrowth of shared momentum. The outcomes follow organically: stronger connections, expanded opportunities, and more meaningful engagement.
Laying the Ground for the Next Economy
This visionary executive anticipates a sweeping shift poised to reshape the global economy as profoundly as the internet once did. Climate imperatives and the rise of artificial intelligence are converging, demanding a reimagining of how we think, construct, and lead. His work in energy and climate focuses on laying durable groundwork. That means equipping individuals and institutions not only with policy tools but with the foresight and adaptability to navigate what lies ahead.
“Future generations will have powerful technologies at their fingertips,” Máximo notes, “but we must ensure they never surrender the responsibility to think critically and rethink how we structure our societies.”
He believes tomorrow’s systems, including economic, environmental, and civic, will demand difficult trade-offs. A redefinition of everyday comforts in the service of sustainability. But to Máximo, authentic climate resilience starts with the individual. With disruption expected through 2050, preparation is imperative. It’s not just about weathering shocks, but responding with intention, ingenuity, and collective purpose.
Not Done, Just Evolving
Máximo isn’t done; he’s in a state of flux. His curiosity zeroes in on how the fusion of artificial intelligence and human resilience will redefine the future of work. He harks back to Google’s “unfamiliar” early days in the 2000s, seeing generative AI as an equally seismic shift. “I don’t want to age badly,” he asserts. “I want to adapt.” This adaptation compels him to immerse himself in coaching, research, and projects where innovation is paired with intention. He’s pulled more by coaching’s call than management’s demands. And here’s the kicker: regardless of what’s next, his commitment to a healthy work-life balance remains sacrosanct.
