On 28 December 2014 our friend Romano Guelmani passed away after a brief struggle with illness. Romano recently celebrated his 74th birthday, having dedicated many years of activity working for the ANDAF, in numerous roles. He was a past President of our Governing Board, past President of our Advisory Council, and up to today acted as Assistent to the Chairmanand President of the Board of Directors of ANDAF Servizi srl.

He was also President of the IAFEI, where he still sat as a member of the Advisory Council. Romano believed fervently in the role and importance of the IAFEI, and was fundamental in ensuring its growth in stature and importance over the years, thanks to his tireless efforts to ensure unity and the prevalence of the spirit of the association over individual interests. The members of ANDAF will be eternally grateful for all the time and efforts he dedicated for their common good, and for all the work he did for us with unquestionable moral integrity, tireless dedication and esteemed professional competence, recognized and appreciated by all who knew him.

Goodbye Romano, you will be remembered and missed by all of us, may your soul rest in peace.

Fausto Cosi
Chairman ANDAF (Italian Association) and Vice Chairman IAFEI

My deepest sympathy to Romano's family and to it IAFEI's community. We will keep him in our prayers.

Juan Ortega (IMEF-Mexico)
IAFEI Area President for the Americas

It's so sad to learn that my great friend and big brother Romano passed away. My deepest sympathy to his family.

In my years with IAFEI, I did enjoy learning and consulting with him. He is so willing to share with me. Romano we will keep you in our memories.

Farewell Romano.

Peter Hsu (FEI-Chinese Taiwan)
IAFEI Advisory Council Member

I am very sad to learn about the passing away of our dear friend in IAFEI, Mr. Romano Guelmani. He had been a most treasured guiding hand during the years that I was the Secretary of IAFEI for the years 2008 to 2012. The IAFEI Secretariat will miss him very much. We all have lost a good friend and an outstanding man. I pray to the eternal repose of the soul of Romano. I offer my sincerest condolences to his family.

Alfredo B. Parungao (FINEX-Philippines)
Secretary, IAFEI Year 2008 to 2012

We are deeply saddened by the news of Mr. Romano Guelmani passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. It was an honor to have known such a great person and we will truly miss him. Our heartfelt condolences.

Nguyen Ngoc Bach
Chairman, Vietnam CFO Club (VCFO)

Dear IAFEI Friends,

The words expressed by Conchita Manabat fully channel our emotion and regrets at the moment Romano is leaving us and I can only share the feelings and the pleasure I had working with him when I served as IAFEI Europe Area President.

For those you may not have met him and also those who knew him very well, I just extracted this picture, a moment taken during a meeting DFCG had organized in Nice as this picture represents him in my eyes, very well: jumping and taking the microphone to express firmly – but with a smile, always a smile ... – to defend his point of view.

Farewell, Romano, we’ll remember you!

Marc Ugolini
Former IAFEI Europe Area President - DFCG France

My dear colleagues,

We, like you, are all very saddened by this news. Although we have known him for only 2 years, but during that time we managed to love him. He did a lot for the creation and development of IAFEI.

We can only speak positively about him. He is wonderful, beautiful and a bright person. On behalf of Russia serves to perpetuate the name Romano Guelmani through the establishment of the international prize for financial Directors name Romano Guelmani.

Ivan Andrievsky
All-Russian Public Organization Russian Club of Financial Directors (RCFD)

With deep sadness I learnt of the passing of Romano Guilmani. It was during my tenure as Executive Director of IAFEI that I had the pleasure of becoming aquainted to Romano. He impressed me as a gentleman and financial professional with a strong dedication to the advancement of IAFEI.

The international community represented in IAFEI is mourning for a great member.

Karl Heinz Midunsky
München, Germany and Narragansett, Rhode Island

Dear Conchita,

I and Rita visited Romano in the Hospital a few weeks ago, and He was sill hoping to recover. His spirit was alive and I am happy we could see him. I didn't expect him to leave us so soon.

Your letter summarized our feelings for Romano as we have been friends for a very long time and we shared common views on IAFEI. I appreciate your words and your commitment for Romano's activity.

I don't think we can substitute him, and we will always remember Romano. He was a very important person.

I feel now we have to continue his work, remembering the teaching he left to all of us with His behaviour.

My best and Happy New Year,

Roberto and Rita Rovera
IAFEI Advisory Council Member

Yes it is a regret, but great to have met Romano - I will remember him forever.

Endo Hiroaki (JACFO-Japan)
IAFEI Area President for Asia

With great sadness I received the news of the death of our friend Romano. My thoughts and thanks go to his decade-long strong engagement for and lasting influence on both ANDAF and IAFEI, as well as his continued efforts to maintain harmony within our association.

We will remember him forever.

Helmut Schnabel (GEFIU-Germany)
IAFEI Advisory Council Member

On behalf of the IAFEI Secretariat and FINEX, please extend our hearfelt condolonces to Romano's family and to ANDAF. He was indeed an outstanding pillar of IAFEI whom I first met back at the 1995 WORLD CONGRESS when I was President of FINEX. We had the biggest foreign delegation at that World Congress with 24 members and spouses attending. One of the highlights I remember from that Congress was a private tour of the Sistine Chapel arranged by the Italian organizers, including Romano. This took the place of a private audience with the Pope and proved to be an enriching and memorable experience for the Philippine delegation, in particular, as most of us are devout Catholics.

May he rest in eternal peace.

Victor Lim (FINEX-Philippines)
IAFEI Secretary

We are deeply saddened to know Romano has passed away.

Fausto, your remarks capture so beautifully our collective admiration for Romano as a leader and inspirational supporter and IAFEI and ANDAF, and most of all, as a man. Our thoughts go to his friends and family particularly the one he cherished within the ANDAF community which he served with such dedication.

We will always remember his fine wit and charm, his good words in all circumstances, even when offering criticism and his down-to-earth recommendations on to how to take IAFEI to the next levels. Indeed, he is already missed by us all.

Armand Angeli (DFCG-France)
Area President for Europe and Interim Area President for Middle East and Africa

We are in great sorrow on hearing the passing away of Romano.

We are truly grateful to the support he rendered us in the past years, especially during the IAFEI Congress held by ANDAF in Italy in 2004 and 2010, when we got warm reception and saw good organization provided by ANDAF, and Romano as the Chairman of Organization Committee. In the past decade after CACFO’s joining in IAFEI, we could really feel the competence and the harmony among the leadership of IAFEI through Romano, a good officer, an old friend and a nice person. Please extend our deep condolences to Romano’s family and ANDAF.

Secretariat of CACFO (China)

We are all deeply saddened to hear the news that Romano has passed away.

Although we met only once in Paris last June, I felt so close to such a gentleman like Romano. He had the spirit of a true professional, having a strong personality and kindness.

Dear Fausto please extend our deep condolences to Romano’s family, as well as to the members of ANDAF.

Anastassios Rodopoulos
President Governing Committee EIOD/EEDE (Greece)

I was deeply saddened by the news of Romano Guelmani’s decease.

He was indeed a fine gentleman who dedicated endless hours to the enhancement and strengthening of IAFEI. His memory will always be cherished and his life’s work will never be forgotten.

May his family find comfort in the loving memory of a life dedicated to service. May his soul rest in peace.

Finally, on behalf of IMEF I take this opportunity to send our deepest condolences and warmest regards to the ANDAF and Romano’s Family.

Luis Ortiz-Hidalgo
Chairman, IAFEI

On behalf of JACFO and myself, I am very sorry to learn about Romano's passing. ANDAF and IAFEI lost a professional member with demonstrated dedication and concern for his organizations. He will surely be missed.

Kindly extend our deep sympathy to his family and ANDAF.

Hiroshi Yaguchi
IAFEI Advisory Council member

It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of Romano. We knew each other for a long time, both at the IAFEI and ANDAF. I wish to pay tribute to him for his sympathy, his joy of being and to have always been, despite some differences, a sincere friend. I have spent wonderful moments with him. I address my condolences to his family and friends.

George Couvois
DFCG-France

As a past member of DFCG and member of the Board of IAFEI, I have known Romano for a long time. Only last year, we have been in contact after Giuliana Bertin passed away in exactly the same circumstances.

He was a great fellow and was full of humor as well as a compentent director in his country's financial community. Please extend to his family my sincere condolences.

Claude Rozsa
Past member - DFCG-France