The CEO of the Fiat brand, Luca de Meo, has made a
flying visit to Australia en route to the Mexican launch
of the Fiat Grande Punto so that he can assess the
progress made by the Italian car maker in its newest
market since the return of Fiat to Australia in July
this year. “We are not after quantity here, we are after
quality,” de Meo told Australian media. “We want to
ensure that we have the ideal dealer group, that the
facilities are correct and that customer service is of
the highest order. Quantity will then flow from this
quality of service.”
Luca De Meo was born on
June 13 1967 in Milan where he earned a degree in
Business Economics at Bocconi University before studying
Marketing Management at Insead in France. In the period
1992 – 97 he rose to positions of increasing
responsibility in Sales and Marketing at Renault in
Italy and in France, eventually becoming Product
Manager. In 1998 he moved to Toyota Motor Europe where
among other responsibilities he was in charge of Product
Planning and Commercial Plan Coordination for the Lexus
brand and General Manager, Product Management Division.
He joined Fiat Auto in 2002 as Lancia Marketing Manager,
and was elevated to the position of Lancia Brand Manager
in June 2004. He was appointed to his present position
on 2 November 2004.
Less than two hours after arriving in Australia, Luca de
Meo was the guest of honour at the annual Gala Ball held
by the Australian branch of the Italian Chamber of
Commerce, where the countries leading business people,
politicians and personalities heard how Fiat and de Meo
plan to maintain and build the momentum of Fiat’s return
to the Australian car market. De Meo also assisted in
the fund raising for the evening, donating Euro 10,000
to the fund to assist the Westmead Children’s Hospital –
on one proviso, that the CEO of the Italian Chamber of
Commerce swap his Mercedes for one of the products from
Fiat Auto. Care agreed that he would trade the Merc in
for an Alfa Romeo 159.
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Less than two hours after arriving in Australia,
Luca de Meo was the guest of honour at the annual
Gala Ball held by the Australian branch of the
Italian Chamber of Commerce, where the countries
leading business people, politicians and
personalities heard how Fiat and de Meo plan to
maintain and build the momentum of Fiat’s return to
the Australian car market. |
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The CEO of the Fiat brand, Luca de Meo, has made a
flying visit to Australia en route to the Mexican
launch of the Fiat Grande Punto so that he can
assess the progress made by the Italian car maker in
its newest market since the return of Fiat to
Australia in July this year. |
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De Meo, who is the most senior Fiat executive to visit
Australia in the 105 years since the marque first came to
Australia, visited Australian Fiat dealers in Sydney
and Melbourne, as well as having a full briefing on the
Australian market from its local importer, Ateco Automotive.
“Australia is a very important market for Fiat,” De Meo told
the Australian media at a special press conference and
dinner over looking the Sydney Opera House and Harbour.
“This is an extremely open car market, with the Europeans,
the Japanese, the Koreans and the Americans competing with
locally made and imported cars. We can learn lessons here
that we can apply to the rest of the world and if can
succeed here, it shows that we can succeed around the world.
In Ateco we have a very strong and skilled partner with
unique expertise in this market. They clearly understand how
we wish to position Fiat in the world market and, in fact,
they are already using our new position for the Fiat brand
as part of their launch programme in Australia.”
Australia will see the Bravo arrive in 2007 – set to be
called a new name ‘down under’ because of a rights usage
clash with Mazda – followed by the 500 in 2008 and in 2009
the as yet unnamed medium size cross over car. “With these
vehicles in the Australian car market we see 5,000 sales per
annum as a reasonable target and in the longer term, 10,000
sales is entirely possible,” explained De Meo. “Fiat first
came to Australia in 1901 and it is now back to stay!”
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