The Winner 2010: Sergio Marchionne of Fiat

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat, has received the fourth annual European Communication Award, which was presented by the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) at a gala ceremony in Brussels in front of an audience of over 300 prominent professionals. The award was presented in recognition of the impact his communications strategy had upon the resurgence of Chrysler, the struggling American auto manufacturer who Fiat were charged with returning to profitability.

Marchionne had previously been credited with turning around the fortunes of Fiat upon his arrival in 2004, and the strength of his reputation, and his keen sense of timing, maximised the impact of Chrysler’s communications strategy during a difficult period. The EdmundsAutoObserver wrote that he is "increasingly seen as a visionary who has the guts to shape the industry's future rather than just react to it." This winner of this year’s award was voted for by EACD members from a shortlist compiled on the basis of the 2009 results of CARMA International’s CEO Stockwatch Index

The presentation of the award marked the highlight of the European Communication Summit 2010, which was hosted by the EACD in partnership with the magazine, Communication Director. The European Communication Summit gathered around five hundred communications professionals from across Europe in Brussels to hear presentations and discussions by over fifty speakers with a wide range of perspectives on the field of communications.

The Winner 2009: euronews

The news service euronews has received the third annual European Communication Award, which was presented by the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD). The award was accepted by Phillippe Cayla, Chairman of the Executive Board at euronews, in front of several hundred guests from the worlds of politics, business and the media.

Following its 2008 rebranding, euronews has gone from strength to strength, providing excellent and clear EU coverage bringing European issues to the fore to audiences across the continent and around the globe. A partnership of many Europe-wide public broadcasters, euronews is a truly pan-European news service that empowers EU citizens to be better informed about current events and issues and to understand how decisions made in Brussels affects each and every one of us. It also reports on Europe's links with the wider world, thus fully engaging with the future of Europe in a changing world.

Ensuring that European issues are made more accessible to both Europeans and audiences on other continents, euronews transmits its service around the world, in eight different languages, with Arabic added in the past year. Its unique "no comment" format has set a precedent for a new kind of communication across language barriers. With its new look and design, euronews has continued to improve its outreach, and brings the spirit of Europe to a news channel, creating a sense of shared European identity for its viewers. It is for this achievement that we presented euronews with the 2009 European Communication Award.

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The Winner 2008: The European Central Bank

2008's proud European Communication Award winner was the European Central Bank. By successfully launching and managing one of the EU's key unifying elements, our single currency, the ECB has been instrumental in communicating the European idea. The award was ceremonially presented to ECB Director of Communications Elisabeth Ardaillon-Pourier, on 24th April at the Concert Noble in Brussels.

The Winner 2007: UEFA

The 11th of June 2007 saw the launch of the European Communication Award. This glamorous event celebrated the achievements of Communication Professionals in successfully promoting the European idea. The award went to the European Football Organisation UEFA, for its efforts to democratise Europe's most popular sport, and its use of football as a tool for trans-national integration.