Company stories

Bracco and its
“American dream”

The United States represents a milestone in the family's and the company's history
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For the Bracco family, the story of Bracco Diagnostics Incorporated represents the quintessential “American dream“. That dream began in 1994 with the acquisition of Squibb Diagnostics, one of the Group’s most significant milestones. Diana recounts, “I have a vivid memory of those days filled with anticipation and hope, and I’ll never forget the signing of the agreement and the historic article in the New York Times on August 2nd, 1994, which I still have today.”

With the upcoming 30th anniversary of BDI (in 2024), we can affirm that that dream is still alive. The results of that bold and somewhat daring decision are now evident. Today, the American market is Bracco’s most successful one worldwide. And North America has always represented the true frontier of innovation, creating opportunities of knowledge and advancement in every field. From any perspective, the gamble of the acquisition of a huge player like Squibb was a winning one. Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, Vice-President and CEO of Bracco Imaging, concluded his speech at BDI’s 20th anniversary by reaffirming Bracco’s confidence in the American dream. “There are moments in life, for a person as well as a company, when difficult choices must be made; those are the moments that measure our dreams and our abilities. We did not shy away, and if we’re still here that means that our dream is still alive. Thank you all.”

Fulvio Renoldi Bracco during his speech marking the 20th anniversary of Bracco Diagnostics Inc., 2014
Diana Bracco at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) ceremony in Washington, 2013

Bracco’s ties with the USA are also very strong culturally and can be seen in important philanthropic initiatives, both through the Group and the Foundation: from the La Scala Philharmonic tour in 2007 to the impressive exhibitions at the New York Metropolitan Museum and the National Gallery in Washington (Fra Carnevale in 2005, Bellini and Giorgione in 2006, Canaletto in 2011).

The feeling is certainly mutual: after having been named a member – the only Italian – of the NGA Trustees’ Council, in 2014 Diana Bracco received the NIAF Award (a prize from the Italian-American community in the United States) for the Bracco Foundation’s philanthropy projects. On that occasion, the president stated, “Having set our sights on the United States, addressing the challenge of the continuous dialogue with the FDA helped us reach these outcomes, pushing us to seek increasingly better quality and continually improve our products and manufacturing processes. Besides, I often say that this commitment, dedication and quest for excellence are what drive true entrepreneurs and scientists.”

The acquisition of Squibb Diagnostics led to the formation of BDI in 1994: Watch Diana Bracco’s speech in full.
For the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, Bracco stages a large exhibition on Canaletto at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Browse through the gallery of this story
Documents and images from the Bracco Historical Archives
Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala di Milano on tour in America at the Music Center at Strathmore, Washington, 2007
Headquarters of Bracco Diagnostics Inc., Princeton, New Jersey, 2012
Fulvio Renoldi Bracco during his speech marking the 20th anniversary of Bracco Diagnostics Inc., 2014
Fulvio Renoldi Bracco during his speech marking the 20th anniversary of Bracco Diagnostics Inc., 2014
Fra Carnevale, Nascita della Vergine (1467), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2004
Canaletto, "Entrance to the Grand Canal, Looking West, with the Basilica della Salute" (C.1927) National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2011
Diana Bracco and Fulvio Renoldi Bracco with curator David Alan Brown and Christine Myers of the National Gallery of Art during the inauguration of the exhibition Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals, Washington, 2011
The headquarters of Bracco Research Princeton, New Jersey, 2005
Cover of the house organ Bracco.com from August 1998
Earl A. Powell III (Director, National Gallery of Art)
Mrs. Nancy Powell (wife of Mr. Powell) 
Mrs. Leila Castellaneta (wife of the Italian ambassador) and
First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush 
Mrs. Diana Bracco (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bracco Group) and
David Alan Brown (Curator of Italian and Spanish Painting, National Gallery of Art)
In front of Sebastiano del Piombo, Ferry Carondelet and His Secretary, c. 1512/1513. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
© 2006 Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington
Photo by Lee Ewing
Diana Bracco at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) ceremony in Washington, 2013
Sebastiano del Piombo, "Portrait of a Young Woman as a Wise Virgin" (C.1510) National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2006
Giovanni Bellini, "Woman with Mirror" (1515), National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2006
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