DIVE INTO THE MARTOLDASPHERE

Where does your nickname “Martolda” come from?

A university classmate of mine, Silvia, invented it in 2010.

Are you a broker for real?

I try.

What products are you specialised in?

Exotic and tailor-made Facultative Reinsurance solutions for Cyber and Financial Lines (mostly Management Liability), specifically for DACH and BENELUX.

Do your parents or relatives work in finance?

No, they are all blue collars.

Where did you study?

I graduated in Law from a public University in Milan, Italy.

Do you fly tiger moths for real?

Yes. I took some classes to learn how to fly them.

When you were a kid, what did you dream you would become as an adult?

An alpine rescue helicopter pilot.

Why an aviation broker website?

I used to place Aviation products at the beginning of my career and it was good fun.

Aren’t you afraid recruiters would look at your website?

This is not a problem as I don’t think my website will ever become that popular. If a recruiter is reading this… Hello!! :D

Is there something you do really poorly?

In phone conversations it’s hard for me to understand clearly when it’s my turn to speak. I also don’t have much patience when people put stuff randomly in the dishwasher. Mr. Whirpool designed the dishwasher with a logic, follow the logic.

Are you neurodivergent?

Yes, I am autistic.

How is life as an autistic person?

It's not a stroll in the park. What I know for sure is that my brain runs on a different OS than most.

What do you struggle with?

Unfortunately I experience alexithymia to a high degree, which is a problem. I lack interoception and I'm not the best in emotional regulation. 

Then there are also minor issues like the incapacity to do small talk, I cannot pretend to be interested in something I find boring, I struggle with metaphors and symbolic speech, I am totally unable to flirt.

What gift do you think autism gave you?

An overdeveloped intuition through pattern recognition. The ability to focus on a subject for a long time without distraction. Because of that, I tend to work double the workload of most people — and study every weekend. I have sudden bursts of creativity, like epiphanies. I have no taboo subjects and a reduced social filter. We autistic people often have a different concept of “shame”.

How would you describe autism to someone who doesn't know anything about it?

I would just say that autistic people are like cats, non autistic people are like dogs.

Who do you think understands you very well?

Babies, kids, and animals. They only use instinct and have no superstructure.

Do you really study coding?

Yes.

Do you colour-code your clothes in the wardrobe?

Yes, also my books are colour-coded. Visual order reduces cognitive noise.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Reading about Medieval History, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, crocodiles and alligators, octopuses and neuroscience. I love cooking. Also horse riding.

Why did you name your cats like divinities?

Because they are divinities to me.

Why did you build this website?

It’s a personal playground where I can just be me.

Is there anything else we should know about you?

Yes. I applied to MI5 but I was rejected.