Alessandra Balocco, the CEO and president of Italian confectionery group Balocco, died on Monday at the age of 61 after an illness that began last year.

She had worked in the cake-and-biscuits company since 1990 and was part of the third generation of her family to run the group.

She took over the reins after the tragic death in 2022 of her brother Alberto, who was struck by lightning while hiking in mountains.