About Us

Alan and Kathy Clist

Company Directors Alan and Kathy have had a shared passion for Italy for a long time. Kathy spent her formative years in Southern Italy as a child and since she and Alan met over 30 years ago they have shared a love for Italy. Kathy is fluent in Italian and Alan has invested time in learning the Italian language. They are privileged to have some wonderful friends and strong connections throughout Italy.

About Kathy

Kathy's connection with Italy is through an Italian born father and a grandfather who was a professor in English at the Bocconi University in Milan in the late 1800s. Her father never lost his passion for Italy and moved his family there for six years when Kathy was a little girl. During that time she attended an Italian primary and intermediate school and made some friendships which are still strong several decades later. Kathy’s adult life in New Zealand has included mothering (a lifelong commitment!), legal and secretarial work, university study, community and volunteer work and sixteen years as a professional counsellor. As well as having a heart for people and the community, she is passionate about family, languages, reading and travel (ok, and shopping in Italian markets).

About Alan

Alan is a Kiwi, born in Auckland. His working life has been spent mostly in Telecommunications and Information Technology. While in Italy recently on an extended holiday, he was able to indulge in another one of his passions – road cycling. In New Zealand, he has completed a number of events including twice solo around Lake Taupo and other races around the Auckland region. He is also a keen gardener and has enjoyed completing a formal Italian themed garden at their property in Auckland. Another passion is photography and he is completing on line study in this field to develop this further. He has spent time learning Italian and has really enjoyed visiting Italy over the years, growing to love it as so many do.

The Family

Kathy and Alan have three supportive adult children and three equally supportive daughters and son-in-law (one of whom designed the Dream of Italy logo). Their children also share a love for Italy, with a daughter-in-law receiving her proposal of marriage on a bridge over the river Arno in Florence and a son who spent nearly two years in various parts of Italy and is fluent in both Italian and Neapolitan, having inherited a flair for languages.

Italian Connections

Alan and Kathy visit Italy regularly and have developed strong relationships with friends and people they do business with in Milan, Venice, Florence, Umbria and elsewhere. They also love catching up with lifelong family friends in other parts of Italy. They have recently bought a small property in an Italian medieval village.

Sourcing Products

On their Italian travels, they spend specific time finding not only the right products, but finding people they love doing business with. They visit the factories and places the products are made and really enjoy meeting face to face the people who produce these lovely works of art. Many suppliers are now friends, with all that means in terms of hospitality and good food!

They would love to hear from you if you have any ideas of Italian products you would like to see available from Dream of Italy. Tell them your ideas.