Marchionne wins European Communication Award

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. Previous winners of the award include UEFA (in 2007), the European Central Bank (in 2008), and euronews (in 2009).

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.