irishcar.com

22 January 2002: Fiat Auto (Ireland) Ltd. has announced that Michael Howe, currently Commercial Director of the Company, has been appointed Managing Director. He will succeed Paolo Gagliardo who returns to Italy in February to lead the Alfa Romeo brand in that country, taking up the new position of General Manager Alfa Romeo Italy.

Michael joined Fiat Auto Ireland in 2001. He has worked in the motor industry since 1978 and was a Director of Toyota Ireland Ltd. before he joined Fiat. He is a graduate of the Irish Marketing Institute and holds an MBA from the Open Business University.

Paolo Gagliardo started work in the motor industry with Ford Motor Co. UK. He moved to Ford USA where he held the position as Mustang Brand Manager before moving to Ford Italy as Marketing Manager. He joined Fiat Auto in 1999 as Marketing Director for Italy and came to Ireland in July 2001. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, New York.

Commenting on the changes, Paolo Gagliardo said that he was extremely sorry to leave Ireland but the challenges presented in his new role represented a once in a lifetime opportunity. “It is a great honour to have been asked to take on such a pivotal role at this time,” he said. ”I consider that our successes here in Ireland have been an important element in my new appointment, that our strategic planning and new programmes for growth as executed by a very strong management team will be seen to the full in the weeks and months ahead. Michael Howe had been a key part of that team, now he leads it, and so I am sure that the continuity essential for the implementation of our programmes is in place.”