Born in Milan in 1971, Mr Canetta graduated in Economics (Discipline Economiche e Sociali) from the Bocconi University of Milan, and also has a Master of Science in Economics and Finance from the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona.

He began his professional career within the latter university, teaching mathematics and game theory. After brief spells at the Ecole Polytechnique of Paris and Tel Aviv University, he left academia, and followed a short period within Solving Consulting, a French strategic consulting boutique, with a move to London and then Milan, where he honed his professional skills within the M&A division of UBS Warburg.

He then continued his career within Crédit Agricole Indosuez, within its M&A division in Paris. In early 2005 he moved to Merrill Lynch in Milan, where he worked on structured finance.