Giancarlo Turano (BBA ‘75, JFRC ‘71-’72)
The Spirit of Felice Award is named after the founding director of the John Felice Rome Center (JFRC), the Felice Award is presented annually to a JFRC alumnus who has shown exemplary leadership in business and community as well as support to the Rome Center.
Giancarlo is co-chairman of Turano Baking Company, a family-owned business in Berwyn, Illinois, and a respected leader in the American baking industry. He helped grow the company founded by his father from a neighborhood bakery into a national supplier serving 70 of the top 100 U.S. foodservice chains. Born in Calabria, Italy, Giancarlo emigrated to the United States and grew up working in the bakery. He earned a degree in Accounting from Loyola in 1975, where he also spent a formative year abroad at the John Felice Rome Center. That experience deepened his appreciation for global learning and Jesuit education—a connection that now spans three generations of his family. Under his leadership, Turano modernized operations and introduced artisan-quality breads to mainstream markets. In 2013, he and his brothers were inducted into the Baking Hall of Fame for their industry impact. A strong supporter of Catholic education, Giancarlo serves on the Big Shoulders Fund Executive Board and supports the Rome Center philanthropically. He and his wife, Karen, are proud that their sons now lead the third generation of the family business.
The Spirit of Felice Award is named after the founding director of the John Felice Rome Center (JFRC), the Felice Award is presented annually to a JFRC alumnus who has shown exemplary leadership in business and community as well as support to the Rome Center.
Giancarlo is co-chairman of Turano Baking Company, a family-owned business in Berwyn, Illinois, and a respected leader in the American baking industry. He helped grow the company founded by his father from a neighborhood bakery into a national supplier serving 70 of the top 100 U.S. foodservice chains. Born in Calabria, Italy, Giancarlo emigrated to the United States and grew up working in the bakery. He earned a degree in Accounting from Loyola in 1975, where he also spent a formative year abroad at the John Felice Rome Center. That experience deepened his appreciation for global learning and Jesuit education—a connection that now spans three generations of his family. Under his leadership, Turano modernized operations and introduced artisan-quality breads to mainstream markets. In 2013, he and his brothers were inducted into the Baking Hall of Fame for their industry impact. A strong supporter of Catholic education, Giancarlo serves on the Big Shoulders Fund Executive Board and supports the Rome Center philanthropically. He and his wife, Karen, are proud that their sons now lead the third generation of the family business.