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Sergio Marchionne, the Canadian executive of Italian origin who consolidated his legendary status in the auto industry after successfully overthrowing two automakers, died Wednesday. He was 66 years old.
Marchionne died due to unexpected complications due to a shoulder operation at a Zurich hospital. The news of his death comes days after his replacement as Fiat Chrysler (FCA) General Manager, because his condition has worsened.
Condolences from around the world have flocked, with rivals from the auto industry, politicians and colleagues. l & # 39; executive.
"He was a giant of the auto industry, a friend of the Italo-Canadian community and a visionary in the business world," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter. "The death of Sergio Marchionne is a huge loss."
The flags were lowered halfway to the Windsor, Ontario City Hall, where Marchionne, a graduate of the University of Windsor, has left an indelible mark "The legacy he leaves in Canada is investing heavily in the Windsor assembly plant and is saving us from the edge," said Dave Cassidy, president of the local 444 of Unifor, who represents FCA workers in Windsor
"He was a legend here.Most executives do not have this contact with the base, but he really done. "
Marchionne's first foray into the auto industry dates back to 2004, when he was hired to head the Italian Fiat. Defying expectations, he ran the company against the bankruptcy and made it profitable.In 2009, Fiat merged with Chrysler, turning them into the seventh automaker. With the new company, it has once again challenged people's expectations and recently announced in June that the company had no debt.
"He saw opportunities where the weaker saw the end" Flavio Volpe, president of the Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said of Fiat Chrysler's merger.
Marchionne was born in Chieti, Italy, and emigrated with his parents and older sister to Canada at the age of 14. He grew up over a family wedding store in Toronto. attending St. Michael's College. His father, who had been a police officer in Italy, founded a local social club for retired Italian police officers.
In an interview with the Financial Post in 1999, his mother Maria – who still lives in Toronto – boasted proudly of her son's brilliance and his long curriculum. Ms. Marchionne holds an MBA from the University of Windsor, a degree in Philosophy from the University of Toronto and an Osgoode Law degree. Hall Law School. He also earned the Chartered Accountant designation
Alfie Morgan, a former business professor at the University of Windsor, recalled in an interview with the Windsor Star that he did not go on to do so. not expecting the quiet man from the last row of his strategy class Morgan to say:
"I remembered that he was a quiet and hard-to-read individual … He was reserved . A little mysterious. Getting it to talk, it was like pulling one's teeth. Of course, it was not a show-off.
Today, Marchionne is revered at the University of Windsor. The acting president of the school, Douglas Kneale, said in an interview that the school would remember him not only as a successful businessman, but as an exceptional mentor who has always had the time to talk to students.
and the subsequent financial success will become Marchionne 's most significant achievement, he was also known for many other things, including his trademark black sweaters and a candid attitude , nonsense.
Take his message of love to Canadian taxpayers in 2014. At the time, Chrysler was planning to invest $ 3.6 billion in Windsor and Brampton, in Ontario, but it depended on incentives being offered to the business by the federal and provincial governments. While arguing his point of view, Marchionne stated that "everyone" was competing for investment and compared Canada to "a guppy in shark-infested waters."
"This is not a game-heart. It takes determination and it takes money, "he told the Canadian International Auto Show in 2014. " I'm Canadian … I'm going to do a variety of things for this place which turns me into a pretzel. But you can not put me over a barrel. You simply can not. "
Chrysler finally made the investment without the help of the government.
Although he did not play any favorite when It was investing in Canada, Marchionne did not do it.He forgot where he grew up, said Unifor president, Jerry Dias.
In talks with Detroit's three major automakers in 2016, Dias stated that Marchionne was the only leader to stand for bargaining – his commitment to Canada
Sitting across from the other in a conference room, Dias recalls that the discussions were starting to heat up.The union wanted a firm commitment to a new investment in FCA's Brampton plant, and both "fought over," said Dias in an interview on Wednesday.
"He ended up throwing his passport on the table and said" Vien s? Do you think I will get rid of Canadian operations? I am a Canadian, "recalls Dias.
"There was no misunderstanding with him. When you finish a discussion with Sergio Marchionne, it's not like you're wondering what he meant. "
– With files from the Associated Press.
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