2007: A ’slice’ of Italy

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Tags: BEL, entrepreneurship, winter-2011

Ben Cleary

Ben Cleary, Master of Business

A dual passion for Italian food and business enterprise have proven to be a successful recipe for UQ alumnus Ben Cleary.

The second generation Italian Australian recently established his own import and distribution business of fine Italian foods called Benfatti, which in Italian means “well made”.

After motorcycling around Italy with his father in 2008 – tasting delicacies from the regions and meeting with local farmers – Mr Cleary began thinking of a way to bring hard-to- find Italian foods into Australian homes.

Two years later he launched Benfatti through an online boutique store.

Mr Cleary said his knowledge of international business, seven years experience working in the industry and a strong passion for Italian food helped him to turn a concept into a reality.

“During my university years I travelled and studied in Italy and fell in love with everything Italian – the food, the lifestyle and the people – and this sparked my interest in Italian fine foods,” Mr Cleary said.

“During my masters, I learnt a great deal about importing and distribution business, international trade, business markets, management and strategic planning.

“Once I had a well thought-out business plan for Benfatti, I could then pitch to investors and get the business up-and-running.”

Creating the business from Australia meant Mr Cleary needed to call on his family and friends in Italy to help him source the country’s finest artisan foods.

“I received plenty of support from my network of friends in Italy, many of whom I met while studying at UQ,” he said.

“These international connections have been invaluable for bringing Benfatti to life.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Wollongong in 2003, Mr Cleary began working in export sales and logistics at Austral Bricks, and later joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu as a human capital consultant.

He enrolled in a Master of Business (International Business) at UQ in 2004, while continuing to work full-time.

Mr Cleary is now a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and was chosen for the exclusive PWC Young Leadership Team – a group of 40 high-achieving young employees selected from thousands of candidates around the country.

By Caroline Bird

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