Were it not for several big misunderstandings and a few close brushes with the axe, Olivier François would never have become Fiat’s CEO.
The Frenchman, now renowned for his marketing expertise, admits he knew little about the subject when he first got into the car business. Nor did he really understand cars themselves. His first love was music: he is married to Italian pop star Arianna Bergamaschi; is close friends with reggae legend Shaggy; and holds the distinction of having helped organise the first-ever concert in the Vatican City. And although he once hid it from his bosses, François now admits that he has even published his own poetry book.
