The paper aims at tracing a connection between on one side studies and researches about glass ceiling and on the other side studies and researches about going public process. Many different works have been in fact already published about the two topics considering them separately, but it seems not yet investigated the specific link between the two. A qualitative empirical study is developed by considering a family Italian company acting in the fashion leather sector whose brand is Piquadro. The company was founded no more than twenty years ago by an entrepreneur Mr. Marco Palmieri and has developed getting such a relevant dimension that it became necessary not to lose important opportunities to look for fresh money. Up to that special moment the company was structured as a SME which includes an organization based on a not sophisticated management and control systems. Key roles where reserved to family members which happened to be all men, but things were going to suddenly change. An evolution – or we can easily say a revolution – started first when a private equity fund decided to proudly finance the company’s growth as they pretended the introduction of new management tools and new performance measures. The second step was the decision to quote the company as it meant to improve the corporate governance introducing different levels of institutional controls and making women enter in top management positions.
Key-Words: Entrepreneurship and Family Business, going public, private equity, SMEs, glass ceiling, women on board, corporate governance, Piquadro
