There is more senior management turmoil at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) today with the news that veteran executive Alfredo Altavilla, currently in charge of operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, is quitting the company after being passed over for the CEO’s position in favour of the Head of the Jeep and Ram brands, Mike Manley.
Altavilla was a close aide of Sergio Marchionne, who was replaced on Saturday as CEO following the aftermath of an operation that Italian news agency ANSA has today described as “irreversible”.
He was a key figure in during the merger of Fiat Auto with Chrysler Automobiles and is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) which he was credited with returning to profit after a long period of losses as well as being responsible for Global Business Development. Well travelled within FCA, previously he had stints in charge of FPT, Tofas and IVECO.
FCA's Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer and Altavilla were regarded as Marchionne’s key favourites to succeed him when he was scheduled to retire next year. Today it was also announced that Palmer will now assume responsibility for Global Business Development.
However, the board, led by John Elkann, moved quickly to install Manley as the company's new CEO after Marchionne became incapacitated and that passing over has seen Altavilla quit and end a 28-year-career with FCA. Manley has today been also named as the ‘interim’ head of the EMEA region.
A statement issued by FCA reads: "Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced today that Alfredo Altavilla will be leaving the Group to pursue other professional interests. The Group thanks Alfredo for his contributions and wishes him all the best for the future."
It went on to outline some required changes: "FCA announces the following leadership changes, effective immediately. The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mike Manley, is also appointed as interim Chief Operating Officer of EMEA Region. Alfredo will be working with Mike through the end of August to ensure a smooth transition. Global Business Development will now be realigned to report to Richard Palmer, the Group Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Systems and Castings."
Altavilla in fact began his career as an assistant at Università Cattolica, Milan, where he had earned a degree in economics. However, in 1990, he embarked on the start of a long stint with Fiat Auto, where he initially focused on international ventures in the area of strategic planning and product development. Five years later he was appointed head of Fiat Auto’s Beijing office and in 1999 head of Asian Operations.
He has been involved in Business Development since 2001, becoming responsible for coordination of the alliance with General Motors in 2002 and, in 2004, being assigned responsibility for management of all alliances, while that same year Altavilla, who was born in Taranto, Italy, was appointed Chairman of FGP (Fiat/GM Powertrain JV) as well as Senior Vice President of Business Development of Fiat Auto.
In 2005, he became CEO of Tofas, a 50-50 joint venture between Fiat Auto and Koç Holding that develops and builds Fiat cars in Turkey while retaining his role as head of Business Development and a year later he was made CEO of FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies).
In 2009, he became a member of the Board of Directors of Chrysler Group and in 2009 was named Executive Vice President of Business Development for Fiat Group. From late 2010 for the next year he was President and CEO of the trucks-to-buses division Iveco. Altavilla was also a member of the Fiat Industrial Executive Council for a year from 2011 and was appointed COO of EMEA five and a half years ago.
