Ferrari News: Luca di Montezemolo Steps Down As Ferrari Chairman

[William Maley]

---

Ferrari's long standing chairman Luca di Montezemolo announced today that he will step down from the company on October 13th. Taking his place for the time being will be Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne.

Montezemolo has a long and storied career at Fiat and Ferrari. He started at Fiat before moving to the prancing horse in 1973. There he became Enzo Ferrari's assistant. A year later, he was named head of the Scuderia (racing division) the following year. Montezemolo worked hard and helped the team reach great success. Because of his efforts with Scuderia, he was name head of Fiat's racing activities. In 1991, Montezemolo was named chairman of Ferrari.

However, Montezemolo and Marchionne have been clashing over a number of issues. The two biggest issues are Ferrari's F1 team not claiming a championship since 2008 (or a win this year), and where the brand stands under FCA.

"Ferrari will have an important role to play within the FCA Group in the upcoming flotation on Wall Street. This will open up a new and different phase which I feel should be spearheaded by the CEO of the Group." said Montezemolo in a statement.

"Luca and I were appointed to the Fiat Board of Directors on the very same day back in 2003. One year later, he became Chairman and I became CEO. We worked side by side, sharing concerns, difficulties and successes. As Chairman of Ferrari, he drove the company to a new level of technological and organizational excellence which also brought with it outstanding financial results. Luca and I have discussed the future of Ferrari at length. And our mutual desire to see Ferrari achieve its true potential on the track has led to misunderstandings which became clearly visible over the last weekend. I want to thank Luca for all he has done for Fiat, for Ferrari and for me personally," said Marchionne.

Source: Ferrari

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected]or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Press Release is on Page 2

---

Montezemolo quits Ferrari, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne to become new Chairman

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has announced his intention to resign as Chairman of Ferrari with effect from October 13th following completion of Ferrari's celebration of 60 years in America. Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne, will take over as Chairman of Ferrari.

Since 1991, Ferrari achieved significant results under Montezemolo's chairmanship in terms of both financial performance and its standing in the world of racing. Under his leadership, Ferrari boasted a world-class team and numerous record-setting achievements.

"On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to thank Luca for all he has done for both Fiat and Ferrari", said Fiat Chairman, John Elkann. He held several key positions with the Group, including serving as Chairman of Fiat from 2004 to 2010, and we shared many challenging but also rewarding moments. Luca leaves us with my most sincere and heartfelt wishes for his future professional endeavors and the hope, I am certain shared by us both, that Ferrari will return to victory very soon."

"Luca and I were appointed to the Fiat Board of Directors on the very same day back in 2003", said Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne. "One year later, he became Chairman and I became CEO. We worked side by side, sharing concerns, difficulties and successes. As Chairman of Ferrari, he drove the company to a new level of technological and organizational excellence which also brought with it outstanding financial results. Luca and I have discussed the future of Ferrari at length. And our mutual desire to see Ferrari achieve its true potential on the track has led to misunderstandings which became clearly visible over the last weekend. I want to thank Luca for all he has done for Fiat, for Ferrari and for me personally."

Statement from Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo

"Ferrari will have an important role to play within the FCA Group in the upcoming flotation on Wall Street. This will open up a new and different phase which I feel should be spearheaded by the CEO of the Group.

This is the end of an era and so I have decided to leave my position as Chairman after almost 23 marvellous and unforgettable years in addition to those spent at Enzo Ferrari's side in the 1970s.

My thanks, first and foremost, to the exceptional Ferrari women and men from the factory, the offices, the race tracks and the markets across the world. They were the real architects of the company's spectacular growth, its many unforgettable victories and its transformation into one of the world's strongest brands.

A warm farewell and my thanks also to all of our technical and commercial partners, our dealers across the globe and, most particularly, the clients and collectors whose passion I so wholeheartedly share.

But my thoughts go also to our fans who have always supported us with great enthusiasm especially through the Scuderia's most difficult moments.

Ferrari is the most wonderful company in the world. It has been a great privilege and honour to have been its leader. I devoted all of my enthusiasm and commitment to it over the years. Together with my family, it was, and continues to be, the most important thing in my life.

I wish the shareholders, particularly Piero Ferrari who has always been by my side, and everyone in the Company the many more years of success that Ferrari deserves."

Maranello, 10th September 2014.

Turin, 10 September 2014

View full article