Aug. 3, 2018—Fiat Chrysler’s late CEO, Sergio Marchionne, who died in late July at the age of 66, is being honored by industry experts for the impact he made on the global auto industry.
As Michigan’s NPR network noted, Marchionne shaped a powerful, unified brand out of once-struggling Fiat and Chrysler companies and saved thousands of jobs in Michigan. His sound business decisions arguably saved Fiat, and the CEO also leveraged Jeep into a global giant.
Many of Marchionne’s decisions were ahead of their time, Michigan’s NPR network noted. For example, he ended car production in the U.S. well before fellow OEMs like General Motors and Ford followed suit and limited sedan production.
Marchionne “made a difference,” wrote Daniel Howes, columnist for The Detroit News. “He spied redemption for a company almost given up for dead—and that's something people … should never forget.”
