Topic: Sergio Marchionne

Sergio Marchionne (born June 17, 1952 in Chieti, Italy) is an international manager best known for his turnaround of the Italian automotive group Fiat and, more recently, for managing the US automotive group Chrysler from bankruptcy to profitability. Marchionne currently holds several roles of major importance, including serving as CEO of Fiat S.p.A., Chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC, and Chairman of Fiat Industrial S.p.A. and its principal subsidiary CNH. He has also served two consecutive terms as Chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (first elected in January 2006). He is the Chairman of Swiss-based SGS and was a member of the Board of Directors of the global banking group UBS for a number of years up to 2010, appointed Vice Chairman (non-executive) in February 2008.

Marchionne is widely recognized for turning around Fiat Group to become one of the fastest growing companies in the auto industry, returning it to profitability in 2006 less than two years after taking the helm. In 2009, he was instrumental in Fiat Group forming a strategic alliance with the ailing US automaker Chrysler, with the support of the US and Canadian governments and trade unions. Less than 2 years later, following its emergence from Chapter 11, Chrysler returned to profitability (Q1 2011) and repaid all government loans (May 2011). Under Marchionne's leadership, Fiat and Chrysler have come together to create a leading global player in the automobile sector, leveraging the product portfolios, purchasing power and distribution capabilities of both partners.

In addition to returning Italy's number one industrial group to financial health, Marchionne has also been a major protagonist for change in industrial relations in Italy, with the model established at several group plants precipitating a shift (including legislative) toward the practice of regional and local bargaining over the traditional model of national agreements.