這家擁有吉普(Jeep)、公羊(Ram)和克萊斯勒(Chrysler)等品牌的底特律汽車制造商迎來了新掌舵人:約翰·埃爾坎,歐洲·傳奇工業(yè)王朝之一的繼承人。
埃爾坎終于從幕后走到臺(tái)前,接管了斯泰蘭蒂斯,有史以來首次肩負(fù)起這家全球汽車銷量第六大的集團(tuán)的日常運(yùn)營重任。
12月1日,在經(jīng)歷了災(zāi)難性的9個(gè)月后(這一期間,該公司的美國經(jīng)銷商群體憤怒不已),埃爾坎接受了備受爭議的首席執(zhí)行官唐唯實(shí)(Carlos Tavares)的辭呈。
為了了解這位時(shí)年48歲的神秘人物的幕后故事,《財(cái)富》雜志采訪了詹妮弗·克拉克(Jennifer Clark)。她曾寫過一部名為《最后的王朝》(L’Ultima Dinastia or “The final dynasty”)的傳記作品,記錄了菲亞特背后家族的歷史。
雖然未經(jīng)授權(quán),但埃爾坎確實(shí)曾多次與她促膝長談,分享自己對(duì)過往動(dòng)蕩歲月的獨(dú)特見解。
在克拉克筆下,埃爾坎被描繪成一位冷靜沉穩(wěn)、嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)認(rèn)真且謙遜有禮的商界精英。他的心中只有一個(gè)基本愿望:確保家族財(cái)富能傳給下一代,即使這意味著采取非常規(guī)措施。
他已經(jīng)兩次重塑這家擁有125年歷史的汽車制造商(不止一次)——在其傳奇祖父詹尼·阿涅利(Gianni Agnelli)的帶領(lǐng)下,該汽車制造商曾是意大利經(jīng)濟(jì)的核心支柱——第一次是在十年前收購克萊斯勒(Chrysler),第二次是在2021年與競爭對(duì)手法國汽車制造商標(biāo)致(Peugeot SA)合并。
克拉克對(duì)《財(cái)富》雜志表示:“約翰不像他祖父那樣對(duì)菲亞特懷有深厚的情感。他更加超脫。他已經(jīng)采取了祖父永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)采取的措施,比如合并公司和將總部遷出意大利?!?/p>
同樣,他務(wù)實(shí)、嚴(yán)肅的風(fēng)格也意味著,在必要的情況下,他能夠隨機(jī)應(yīng)變。
她回憶道:"在菲亞特克萊斯勒(Fiat Chrysler)與雷諾(Renault)談判期間,他僅一晚上便做出了撤離的決定?!?/p>
責(zé)任塑造的人生
1976年,他出生于紐約,是兄妹三人中的老大。父母的婚姻很快破裂了,母親再婚后,他和母親的關(guān)系緊張,自然而然地,他深感自己對(duì)弟弟拉普(Lapo)和妹妹吉內(nèi)芙拉(Ginevra)負(fù)有責(zé)任。
“當(dāng)父母離異之時(shí),吉內(nèi)芙拉可能只有一兩歲。兄妹三人便構(gòu)成了這個(gè)小家的全部?!笨死苏f。
埃爾坎的成長足跡遍布多個(gè)國家,其中包括巴西。在那里,他不僅學(xué)會(huì)了葡萄牙語,還能講一口流利的英語和意大利語,隨后又在巴黎度過了他的高中時(shí)光。
克拉克補(bǔ)充說:“他們的母親是天主教徒,父親是猶太人,繼父則是俄羅斯東正教教徒——他們生活在不同的國家,說著不同的語言,可謂兼收并蓄。除了度假,約翰從未真正在意大利生活過,直到他開始在都靈學(xué)習(xí)工程學(xué)。”
隨著約翰在都靈的大學(xué)生活日益深入,詹尼·阿涅利愈發(fā)看重他主動(dòng)擔(dān)當(dāng)?shù)囊庠福约芭c生俱來的對(duì)家族企業(yè)的興趣和好奇心。
家庭悲劇
然而,埃爾坎對(duì)他目前所擔(dān)任的角色絕非毫無準(zhǔn)備。
他年紀(jì)輕輕就進(jìn)入了家族企業(yè),年僅21歲就被任命為菲亞特董事會(huì)成員。
2003 年,他的祖父去世后不久,公司財(cái)政狀況一度陷入絕境,這成為他面臨的第一場危機(jī)。他安排新的家族資金注入以支持公司發(fā)展,事實(shí)證明,這成為重新談判沉重的銀行債務(wù)條款的關(guān)鍵所在。
阿涅利家族曾經(jīng)歷過諸多不幸,這或許成為他較早接班的一大因素。
埃爾坎的曾祖父在一次觸目驚心的飛行事故中不幸遇難,當(dāng)時(shí)他一頭栽進(jìn)了飛機(jī)的螺旋槳中。
他的叔叔愛德華多(Edoardo)在都靈的一座橋上跳橋身亡,至今死因不明,而埃爾坎的堂兄更是在年僅33歲時(shí)因罹患罕見癌癥而離世。
2005年,他的親弟弟拉普險(xiǎn)些因吸毒過量而喪命。
相比之下,埃爾坎保持低調(diào)。他既不像弟弟那般生活多姿多彩、自由不羈,也不像祖父那樣與麗塔·海華絲(Rita Hayworth),甚至據(jù)說與杰奎琳·肯尼迪(Jackie Kennedy)有過著名戀情。他遠(yuǎn)離媒體的聚光燈。
塑造斯泰蘭蒂斯的未來
埃爾坎在斯泰蘭蒂斯可能是個(gè)幕后人物,但他在交易所上市的家族投資控股公司Exor擔(dān)任首席執(zhí)行官,該公司管理著家族的各種經(jīng)濟(jì)利益。
其中包括與家族有著千絲萬縷聯(lián)系的意大利尤文圖斯足球俱樂部,而埃爾坎更是手握法拉利24.6%的股權(quán),并兼任法拉利董事會(huì)主席。
疫情爆發(fā)后,埃爾坎去年在醫(yī)療保健領(lǐng)域擲下28億美元的重注,收購了飛利浦(Philips)15%的股份,使Exor成為這家荷蘭醫(yī)療科技集團(tuán)的最大單一股東。
埃爾坎也熱衷于參與科技初創(chuàng)企業(yè)的活動(dòng),并在10月份意大利科技周OpenAI首席執(zhí)行管山姆·奧特曼(Sam Altman)參與的活動(dòng)中擔(dān)任主持人。
他對(duì)挪威1.8萬億美元主權(quán)財(cái)富基金的管理者尼古拉·坦根(Nicolai Tangen)說:"只有不斷自我革新,與時(shí)俱進(jìn),才能實(shí)現(xiàn)長遠(yuǎn)發(fā)展?!?/p>
考慮到家族的悲劇歷史,埃爾坎是否已著手培養(yǎng)子女,以期他們未來能夠接掌大權(quán)?
克拉克回答說:“我曾向他提及此事,但他并未直接回應(yīng)。可以說,他正在尋覓一位敢于基于全新假設(shè)從頭開始的人。此人需兼具敏銳洞察與強(qiáng)烈渴望,而非僅僅背負(fù)家族責(zé)任?!?/p>
若埃爾坎為斯泰蘭蒂斯物色新首席執(zhí)行官,這一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)或許同樣適用。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
這家擁有吉普(Jeep)、公羊(Ram)和克萊斯勒(Chrysler)等品牌的底特律汽車制造商迎來了新掌舵人:約翰·埃爾坎,歐洲·傳奇工業(yè)王朝之一的繼承人。
埃爾坎終于從幕后走到臺(tái)前,接管了斯泰蘭蒂斯,有史以來首次肩負(fù)起這家全球汽車銷量第六大的集團(tuán)的日常運(yùn)營重任。
12月1日,在經(jīng)歷了災(zāi)難性的9個(gè)月后(這一期間,該公司的美國經(jīng)銷商群體憤怒不已),埃爾坎接受了備受爭議的首席執(zhí)行官唐唯實(shí)(Carlos Tavares)的辭呈。
為了了解這位時(shí)年48歲的神秘人物的幕后故事,《財(cái)富》雜志采訪了詹妮弗·克拉克(Jennifer Clark)。她曾寫過一部名為《最后的王朝》(L’Ultima Dinastia or “The final dynasty”)的傳記作品,記錄了菲亞特背后家族的歷史。
雖然未經(jīng)授權(quán),但埃爾坎確實(shí)曾多次與她促膝長談,分享自己對(duì)過往動(dòng)蕩歲月的獨(dú)特見解。
在克拉克筆下,埃爾坎被描繪成一位冷靜沉穩(wěn)、嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)認(rèn)真且謙遜有禮的商界精英。他的心中只有一個(gè)基本愿望:確保家族財(cái)富能傳給下一代,即使這意味著采取非常規(guī)措施。
他已經(jīng)兩次重塑這家擁有125年歷史的汽車制造商(不止一次)——在其傳奇祖父詹尼·阿涅利(Gianni Agnelli)的帶領(lǐng)下,該汽車制造商曾是意大利經(jīng)濟(jì)的核心支柱——第一次是在十年前收購克萊斯勒(Chrysler),第二次是在2021年與競爭對(duì)手法國汽車制造商標(biāo)致(Peugeot SA)合并。
克拉克對(duì)《財(cái)富》雜志表示:“約翰不像他祖父那樣對(duì)菲亞特懷有深厚的情感。他更加超脫。他已經(jīng)采取了祖父永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)采取的措施,比如合并公司和將總部遷出意大利。”
同樣,他務(wù)實(shí)、嚴(yán)肅的風(fēng)格也意味著,在必要的情況下,他能夠隨機(jī)應(yīng)變。
她回憶道:"在菲亞特克萊斯勒(Fiat Chrysler)與雷諾(Renault)談判期間,他僅一晚上便做出了撤離的決定?!?/p>
責(zé)任塑造的人生
1976年,他出生于紐約,是兄妹三人中的老大。父母的婚姻很快破裂了,母親再婚后,他和母親的關(guān)系緊張,自然而然地,他深感自己對(duì)弟弟拉普(Lapo)和妹妹吉內(nèi)芙拉(Ginevra)負(fù)有責(zé)任。
“當(dāng)父母離異之時(shí),吉內(nèi)芙拉可能只有一兩歲。兄妹三人便構(gòu)成了這個(gè)小家的全部?!笨死苏f。
埃爾坎的成長足跡遍布多個(gè)國家,其中包括巴西。在那里,他不僅學(xué)會(huì)了葡萄牙語,還能講一口流利的英語和意大利語,隨后又在巴黎度過了他的高中時(shí)光。
克拉克補(bǔ)充說:“他們的母親是天主教徒,父親是猶太人,繼父則是俄羅斯東正教教徒——他們生活在不同的國家,說著不同的語言,可謂兼收并蓄。除了度假,約翰從未真正在意大利生活過,直到他開始在都靈學(xué)習(xí)工程學(xué)?!?/p>
隨著約翰在都靈的大學(xué)生活日益深入,詹尼·阿涅利愈發(fā)看重他主動(dòng)擔(dān)當(dāng)?shù)囊庠?,以及與生俱來的對(duì)家族企業(yè)的興趣和好奇心。
家庭悲劇
然而,埃爾坎對(duì)他目前所擔(dān)任的角色絕非毫無準(zhǔn)備。
他年紀(jì)輕輕就進(jìn)入了家族企業(yè),年僅21歲就被任命為菲亞特董事會(huì)成員。
2003 年,他的祖父去世后不久,公司財(cái)政狀況一度陷入絕境,這成為他面臨的第一場危機(jī)。他安排新的家族資金注入以支持公司發(fā)展,事實(shí)證明,這成為重新談判沉重的銀行債務(wù)條款的關(guān)鍵所在。
阿涅利家族曾經(jīng)歷過諸多不幸,這或許成為他較早接班的一大因素。
埃爾坎的曾祖父在一次觸目驚心的飛行事故中不幸遇難,當(dāng)時(shí)他一頭栽進(jìn)了飛機(jī)的螺旋槳中。
他的叔叔愛德華多(Edoardo)在都靈的一座橋上跳橋身亡,至今死因不明,而埃爾坎的堂兄更是在年僅33歲時(shí)因罹患罕見癌癥而離世。
2005年,他的親弟弟拉普險(xiǎn)些因吸毒過量而喪命。
相比之下,埃爾坎保持低調(diào)。他既不像弟弟那般生活多姿多彩、自由不羈,也不像祖父那樣與麗塔·海華絲(Rita Hayworth),甚至據(jù)說與杰奎琳·肯尼迪(Jackie Kennedy)有過著名戀情。他遠(yuǎn)離媒體的聚光燈。
塑造斯泰蘭蒂斯的未來
埃爾坎在斯泰蘭蒂斯可能是個(gè)幕后人物,但他在交易所上市的家族投資控股公司Exor擔(dān)任首席執(zhí)行官,該公司管理著家族的各種經(jīng)濟(jì)利益。
其中包括與家族有著千絲萬縷聯(lián)系的意大利尤文圖斯足球俱樂部,而埃爾坎更是手握法拉利24.6%的股權(quán),并兼任法拉利董事會(huì)主席。
疫情爆發(fā)后,埃爾坎去年在醫(yī)療保健領(lǐng)域擲下28億美元的重注,收購了飛利浦(Philips)15%的股份,使Exor成為這家荷蘭醫(yī)療科技集團(tuán)的最大單一股東。
埃爾坎也熱衷于參與科技初創(chuàng)企業(yè)的活動(dòng),并在10月份意大利科技周OpenAI首席執(zhí)行管山姆·奧特曼(Sam Altman)參與的活動(dòng)中擔(dān)任主持人。
他對(duì)挪威1.8萬億美元主權(quán)財(cái)富基金的管理者尼古拉·坦根(Nicolai Tangen)說:"只有不斷自我革新,與時(shí)俱進(jìn),才能實(shí)現(xiàn)長遠(yuǎn)發(fā)展。”
考慮到家族的悲劇歷史,埃爾坎是否已著手培養(yǎng)子女,以期他們未來能夠接掌大權(quán)?
克拉克回答說:“我曾向他提及此事,但他并未直接回應(yīng)。可以說,他正在尋覓一位敢于基于全新假設(shè)從頭開始的人。此人需兼具敏銳洞察與強(qiáng)烈渴望,而非僅僅背負(fù)家族責(zé)任?!?/p>
若埃爾坎為斯泰蘭蒂斯物色新首席執(zhí)行官,這一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)或許同樣適用。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
The Detroit automaker behind Jeep, Ram, and Chrysler has a new leader at the helm: John Elkann, heir to one of Europe’s storied industrial dynasties.
Elkann has finally stepped out from the background to assume control over Stellantis, for the first time ever running day-to-day operations of the world’s sixth largest auto group by vehicle sales.
Last Sunday, Elkann accepted the resignation of his embattled CEO, Carlos Tavares, after a disastrous nine months that has their U.S. dealers seething in anger.
To get a behind-the-scenes look at the enigmatic 48-year-old, Fortune spoke with Jennifer Clark, author of a biography chronicling the history of the family behind Fiat, called L’Ultima Dinastia or “The final dynasty”.
While unauthorized, Elkann did sit down to speak with her on multiple occasions to provide his own personal perspective on its turbulent past.
She paints a picture of a sober, earnest, and unpretentious businessman driven by one principle desire: to ensure the family fortune can be passed on to the next generation, even if that means taking unorthodox steps.
He’s already reshaped the 125-year-old carmaker—once the beating heart of Italy’s economy under his larger-than-life grandfather, Gianni Agnelli—not once but twice, first by acquiring Chrysler a decade ago and then later joining forces with rival French carmaker Peugeot SA in 2021.
“John doesn’t have a sentimental attachment to Fiat like his grandfather did,” Clark tells Fortune. “He’s much more detached. He already has done things his grandfather never would, like merging the company and moving the headquarters out of Italy.”
His pragmatic, no-nonsense style likewise means he can pivot on a dime should the circumstances require.
“When Fiat Chrysler was in talks with Renault, he just decided in the course of an evening to walk away,” she recalls.
A life shaped by responsibility
Born in 1976 in New York as the eldest of three children from a marriage that soon fell apart, he had a strained relationship with his mother after she remarried and felt a natural responsibility for his brother Lapo and sister Ginevra.
“Ginevra was maybe only one or two when their parents divorced. The three siblings are the family,” says Clark.
Elkann grew up in numerous countries, including Brazil, where he learned to speak Portuguese in addition to fluent English and Italian before attending high school in Paris.
“Their mother is Catholic, their father is Jewish, their stepfather is Russian orthodox—they lived in all different countries, spoke all different languages, so it was quite eclectic,” Clark added. “Apart from vacationing, John had never actually lived in Italy until he began his engineering studies in Turin.”
It was his willingness to step up and assume responsibility paired with an innate curiosity and interest in the family business that Gianni Agnelli came to prize when John spent more time in Turin attending university there.
Family tragedy
Elkann is anything but unprepared for his current role, however.
He was thrust into the family business at a very young age, having been appointed to the board of Fiat at just 21 years old.
One of the first crises to test his mettle came shortly after his grandfather passed away in 2003, at a time when the company was financially on its last legs. He arranged for a fresh infusion of family capital to bolster the company, which proved key to renegotiating the terms of its crushing bank debt.
A factor that may have played a role in his early succession was the tragic past of the Agnellis.
Elkann’s great-grandfather perished in a gruesome flying accident when he was thrown head-first into his plane’s propeller.
His uncle, Edoardo, jumped from a bridge in Turin to his death under circumstances that remain unclear today, while Elkann’s cousin died at the age of 33 from a rare form of cancer.
And in 2005 His very own brother Lapo narrowly escaped overdosing.
By comparison, Elkann keeps a low profile, staying out of the boulevard press unlike his colorful, free-spirited brother—or indeed his grandfather, who famously romanced Rita Hayworth and supposedly even Jackie Kennedy.
Shaping Stellantis’s future
Elkann may keep to the background at Stellantis, but he serves as CEO of the exchange-listed family investment holding Exor, which manages the family’s various economic interests.
These include the Italian football club Juventus, with whom the family is inextricably entwined, and, importantly, a 24.6% stake in Ferrari, where he also serves as chairman of the board.
Following the pandemic, Elkann took a $2.8 billion bet in the healthcare space by acquiring 15% of Philips last year, with Exor becoming the single largest shareholder in the Dutch health tech group.
Elkann is also keen on engaging in the tech startup scene and hosted OpenAI boss Sam Altman at Italian Tech Week in October.
“To last, you need to renew yourself and make sure what you do remains current,” he told Nicolai Tangen, the manager of Norway’s $1.8 trillion sovereign wealth fund.
Given the family history of tragedy, would he already groom his own children to one day take up the reins?
“I’ve asked him that. He won’t answer directly. Suffice to say he’s looking for someone willing to start all over again with a whole new set of assumptions,” Clark replies. “And they have to be keen and hungry, not willing simply out of a sense of duty.”
Should he find a new CEO for Stellantis, it’s likely that will his criteria as well.