Maria Paola holds a Degree in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacological Sciences and a Master in Business Administration (MBA).

Since 1995 she has been working at Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, holding various roles in Business Development, Corporate Marketing, and Strategic Planning.

Since 2010, Maria Paola is responsible, first as coordinator and from 2021 as President, for Chiesi Foundation, a non-profit organization, expression of Chiesi corporate social responsibility, devoted to research and international cooperation projects in the domain of respiratory medicine and neonatology. The main focus of the Foundation is to promote the access to quality neonatal essential care in West Africa.

Since 2015 she has been Director of Shared Value & Sustainability, whose objective is to constantly and rigorously measure and quantify the company’s impacts on the society and the environment, define integrated improvement plans and transparently report the environmental and societal performance.

In July 2023, Maria Paola is appointed Vice Chair of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

She is a Member of the Board of Directors of CEA Parma (Center for Environmental Ethics); President of the Council for Solidarity and Social Cohesion of the Association "Parma per la Famiglia"; President of the KilometroVerdeParma Social Enterprise Forestry Consortium. Maria Paola is also a Professional Coach, Coach Mentor, and Supervisor.

She is married and mother of three children.