John Elkann
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John Philip Jacob Elkann (born 1 April 1976) is an Italian-American industrialist. In 1997, he became the chosen heir of his grandfather Gianni Agnelli, following the death of Gianni's nephew Giovanni Alberto Agnelli and in 2008 became the head of IFIL, an Agnelli family investment company now part of Exor. He chairs the automaker Stellantis and is the chairman and CEO of Exor, the holding company controlled by the Agnelli family, which also owns PartnerRe and holds a controlling stake in Ferrari, CNH Industrial and Juventus F.C.
Quotes[edit]
- To me, technology serves as an answer to the curiosity of humans. Looking back to history, human curiosity has driven progress, increased awareness, and knowledge, ultimately leading to the discovery of new applications that we now define as technology.
- Juventus is a great love, and this is its secret. A love from everyone, and obviously from my family, which is passed down from generation to generation; these colors are part of my children's lives too.
- "Together | The words of John Elkann", Juventus, 10-10-23
- We have been reflecting on the journey we have taken since the foundation of FIAT back in 1899 because, though we are proud of our past achievements, we are most interested in what we can learn from them, and also what we can learn from our mistakes.
- "Letter to Shareholders", EXOR, 08-05-2020
- Today Gianni would be disappointed as all we Ferrari fans are. But I am optimistic because we have two young drivers: they are not 'used to winning' but they have a great desire to 'train to win' with their humility and determination, they are infecting the whole team with this.
- "Elkann: Today Gianni Agnelli would be disappointed with Ferrari", Scuderia Fans.com
- LaStampa has always been a free newspaper because of its economical sustainability, and we're proud of it. It's the only way for a newspaper to be independent.
- The future of newspaper, LaStampa, 21-06-17
- Many things are linked to being able to live with uncertainty, ...with paradoxes. But this can be a strength of an organisation and a situation.
- "Unlikely heir who saved the family jewels", Financial Times, 03-06-11
- I was born in New York, then I went to the UK, then I went to Brazil, then I went to France, then I studied in Italy. My life was always about being confronted with an environment where you had to adapt.
- "Unlikely heir who saved the family jewels", Financial Times, 03-06-11
- (talking about his children) I'm interested in avoiding two types of behaviour: one is the sense of guilt and the other is a sense of entitlement. If these two are avoided, then the rest is up to them.
- "Unlikely heir who saved the family jewels", Financial Times, 03-06-11
- I am a big believer of what Darwin discovered in the Galapagos, proving that the species most responsive to change will survive over apparently stronger or more intelligent competitors.
- "Letter to shareholders", Exor, April 2011
- As an entrepreneur you have responsibilities in trying to operate well in what you have to do. There is a positive effect if you end up doing that. That’s where I try to spend most of my efforts.
- "Fiat's John Elkann shares family business views", FBNenews, 12-15-2010
- The lesson I have learnt is that when a family and a business function, they function together. You have to have a family that works and a business that works and the two will end up working well alongside.
- "Fiat's John Elkann shares family business views", FBNenews, 12-15-2010
- I learnt not to be desperate in bad times, and I am learning not to be bullish when times are good.
- "Dinasty calls", The Economist, 05-08-2008
- Artists have a sensibility that others don't have. They have a way of reading into the future.
- "All in the family", TIME, 06-25-2006
About[edit]
- He is extremely intelligent and has a great sense of responsibility. I've seen, in the past few years, he has managed several crises with extreme dignity and wisdom.
- Henry Kissinger, "Interview: All In The Family", Time Magazine, 06-25-2006
- John was in exactly the right place at the right time to understand manufacturing at its deepest level — at a cellular level. His apprenticeship culminated in an insight that was critical to Fiat’s survival. He noticed a persistent gap between what happens on the factory floor of, say, a headlight plant in Birmingham, and what information filters up to headquarters.
- Reid Hoffman, Masters of scale, Entrepreneur Magazine, 2017
- Re-structuring and modernizing a media business in the current environment is a challenge; if anybody can make it work in Italy, that is John. He has vision with no illusion, a great passion for Italy, a set of principles rooted in tradition, which helps him being an innovator, and has a great business sense about opportunities.” Robert Thomson La Dolce Vita dei Media, Air Mail, October 2020.