Governance

Alberto Costa

Dr Alberto Costa, a breast cancer surgeon from Milan with previous research activity in the field of cancer chemoprevention, was appointed ESO’s Director in 1982. He took on the task of establishing the School, its offices and its first activities and has managed ESO ever since.

For over 30 years, Dr Costa single handedly designed ESO’s annual programme of activities whilst reporting to the Board of Directors and the Scientific Committee. In 2017 the Board confirmed his position as CEO. He is responsible for the scientific content of ESO’s activities.

He was editor in chief of the journal The Breast from 2003 to 2015 and a member of the editorial board of Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. He has also been the Editor, from 2015 to 2019, of the ESO magazine, CancerWorld.

Co-founder of ABC, Advanced Breast Cancer conference, Europa Donna, the European Breast Cancer Coalition, he also founded Europa Uomo, the patient advocacy movement on prostate cancer. He has served as Secretary General of the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and the Federation of European Cancer Societies (FECS), both in Brussels. He actively contributed to the establishment and development of the American Italian Cancer Foundation (AICF) in New York, of which is member of the Advisory Board.

Since 2021 he serves as special advisor of the EU Commissioner for Health, Mrs Stella Kyriakides, for cancer policy.

Rossella Blasi

Since January 2023, Rossella Blasi has served as Executive Director of ESO, leading the overall management and strategic development of the School and coordinating its offices in Milan (Italy) and Bellinzona (Switzerland).

With over 20 years of experience in the non profit and charitable sector, Rossella brings a strong background in organizational leadership, governance, and the management of human and financial resources. Throughout her career, she has supported the growth of complex international organizations by combining strategic vision with operational excellence and a strong focus on accountability and impact.

As Executive Director, she has played a central role in strengthening ESO’s institutional structure and advancing the School’s mission to promote excellence in oncology education worldwide. She has led a comprehensive internal reorganization, improving governance processes, enhancing operational efficiency, and aligning strategy, resources, and outcomes.

Under her leadership, ESO successfully completed the accreditation of its Quality Management System according to ISO 9001, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to excellence, transparency, and continuous improvement. She has also overseen the review and renegotiation of key partnership agreements, strengthening ESO’s positioning within the international oncology community.

A key pillar of her work has been the development and restructuring of internal competencies, aimed at expanding and professionalizing ESO’s services.

In parallel with her executive responsibilities, Rossella Blasi contributes to international governance and collaboration through her Board appointments:

• Board Member, ABC Global Alliance — since 2023
• Board Member, SPCC – Sharing Progress in Cancer Care — since October 2025
• Board Member, ECO – European Cancer Organisation — since January 2026