Magister Group

What Magister Group does

Magister Group SRL is a privately-held, family-owned Italian multi-division corporation founded in 1987 by Antonio Lombardi and currently in its second generation of leadership. The group operates three core divisions: People (HR services, staffing, payroll administration, and corporate welfare), Infotainment (publishing through Avagliano Editore and Edizioni Lavoro), and Food (aquaculture via Waterhouse and Riservazzurra). The People division is the dominant revenue and earnings driver, anchored by Ali Lavoro (an authorized temporary employment agency since 1997), Labor-b (payroll and HR administration outsourcing), Repas (meal voucher issuance and welfare platforms), and the higher-margin Ali Professional executive search unit.

The company serves approximately 30,000 client companies and connects with over one million workers across more than 50 branches in 11 Italian regions. Its service stack spans temporary staffing, outsourced payroll, corporate welfare and meal voucher programs (70 million vouchers issued in 2023 across 3,500+ Repas clients), executive search, and an in-house digital welfare platform (ALI-Welfare). The go-to-market is tiered between SMB-focused operations and enterprise clients handled through Ali Divisione Grandi Clienti, with a 250+ consultant field force supporting Ali Lavoro.

The business model is volume-driven: Repas monetizes per voucher issued, Ali Lavoro earns spreads on temporary worker hours and permanent placement fees, and Labor-b sells recurring payroll/HR administration contracts. Magister does not disclose ownership of core technology beyond outsourcing payroll to Zucchetti; the welfare, payroll, and meal voucher platforms appear proprietary but are not described in detail in available material. The group employs approximately 325 staff plus 300+ external consultants, with a 70% female workforce, and became the first Italian company to implement a four-day work week in February 2023.

Name

Magister Group

Legal name

Magister Group SRL

Website

https://magistergroup.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Magister Group SRL is a privately-held Italian multi-division company founded in 1987, providing HR staffing, payroll administration, and corporate welfare (including meal vouchers) to over 30,000 client companies across Italy, alongside smaller publishing and aquaculture businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Resources Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement (BPACAAAJ)

Keywords

• HR staffing services
• Payroll administration
• Employee welfare benefits
• Meal voucher programs
• Aquaculture production

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. HR Staffing & Temporary Work (Ali Lavoro): Staffing and temporary work services through Ali Lavoro, one of Italy's leading Employment Agencies authorized by the Ministry of Labor since 1997. Core business includes temporary staffing, executive search, and active labor policies.
2. Welfare & Meal Vouchers (Repas): Corporate welfare services including meal vouchers (70 million vouchers issued in 2023), with market leadership in Italy. Repas promotes corporate welfare culture and generates customized solutions for businesses.
3. HR Payroll & Advisory (Labor-b): Advanced HR services platform offering payroll administration, executive search, and HR advisory services. Supports entrepreneurs and managers in transferring corporate cultural models to all company resources.
4. Publishing (Avagliano Editore, Edizioni Lavoro): Publishing operations including fiction, memoirs, and southern-themed literature (Avagliano), and labor studies, union guides, and practical manuals for labor market operators (Edizioni Lavoro).
5. Aquaculture & Fish Trading (Waterhouse): Sustainable aquaculture operations with Waterhouse operating for 20+ years and Riservazzurra brand as market leader. Focus on quality, sustainability, and environmental respect throughout the supply chain.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Magister Group is an Italian holding company that provides integrated human resources services to businesses through its subsidiaries, including temporary and permanent staffing (Ali Lavoro), payroll processing and HR advisory (Labor-b), and employee welfare and meal voucher programs (Repas). Beyond HR services, the group also operates publishing activities (Avagliano Editore and Edizioni Lavoro) and aquaculture production (Riservazzurra, Waterhouse).

Product overview

Magister Group is a multi-business Italian corporation operating in HR services, welfare, publishing, and food/aquaculture sectors. The company connects 30,000 businesses and over 1 million workers through its People division comprising Ali Lavoro (staffing agency), Labor-b (payroll and executive search), and Repas (meal vouchers and welfare). The Infotainment division includes Avagliano Editore and Edizioni Lavoro publishing houses. The Food division features Waterhouse and Riservazzurra aquaculture operations. Founded in 1987, the group generated €450M revenue in 2022 with 325 employees and 300+ consultants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ali Lavoro Staffing and temporary/permanent placement services that connect workers with client companies across Italy.
• Labor-b

Quantifiable outcome

• First Italian company to implement 4-day work week
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regione ToscanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Magister Academy vocational training program. Regione Toscana collaborated on designing the dual apprenticeship program for young graduates to become HR Account professionals.
• Università di FirenzecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Magister Academy program in 2023. University collaboration for designing and validating the dual learning curriculum for young neo-graduates.
• Fondazione Antonio Lombardi (FoAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilanthropic foundation established by company founder Antonio Lombardi. Financially supports projects for young talents, focusing on regenerating artisan knowledge in Made in Italy territories. Promotes Makecampus Academy of Fashion and Design.
• MakecampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh Fashion and Design Academy promoted by Fondazione Antonio Lombardi. Provides 9-month + 3-month internship programs with full scholarships, training professionals capable of understanding the fashion system with strategic creative and managerial skills.
• AIDAF (Associazione Italiana di Diritto del Lavoro)minorOthersItalian Association of Labor Law - shown in company footer alongside Magister Group branding.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adecco Italia: Italian subsidiary of Adecco Group, a major competitor to Ali Lavoro in temporary staffing, permanent placement, and outplacement across all major Italian regions.
• Manpower Italia: Italian arm of ManpowerGroup, offering staffing, RPO, and talent solutions comparable to Magister's Ali Lavoro and Labor-b offerings for both SMB and enterprise clients.
• Synergie Italia: Italian arm of French HR group Synergie, providing temporary staffing, recruitment, and training services that overlap with Ali Lavoro and Magister Academy offerings.
• Day Ristoservice: Italian meal voucher and corporate welfare operator, direct competitor to Magister's Repas subsidiary in the Italian buoni pasto and employee benefits segment.
• Openjobmetis: Italian-listed staffing company providing temporary work, permanent placement, and HR services; competes directly with Ali Lavoro in the Italian staffing market.
• Pellegrini: Italian meal voucher and corporate welfare company with significant share in buoni pasto, competing with Repas among Italian employers seeking welfare benefit providers.
• Edenred Italia: Italian arm of Edenred, the global leader in meal voucher and employee benefit solutions; competes directly with Repas in the Italian corporate welfare and meal voucher market.
• Randstad Italia: Italian arm of global staffing leader Randstad; competes head-on with Ali Lavoro in temporary work, recruitment, and HR solutions for both SMEs and large enterprises in Italy.
• Gi Group: One of Italy's largest staffing and HR services groups, directly competing with Magister's Ali Lavoro in temporary staffing, permanent placement, and active labor policies across Italian regions.

Broad incumbents

• Zucchetti: Italy's leading HR and payroll software provider; supplies the Zucchetti platform underlying Labor-b's payroll services and competes more broadly in HR tech and digital HR services in Italy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magistergroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Magister Group