Farewell to Paolo Pininfarina, grandson of the founder of the historic brand

Entrepreneur Paolo Pininfarina, chairman of the eponymous group, has died in Turin. Son of life senator Sergio Pininfarina and grandson of Pininfarina founder 'Pinin' Farina, he was 65 years old and had been ill for some time. After graduating in mechanical engineering from Turin Polytechnic, he had continued his studies in the United States and Japan. Paolo Pininfarina's death comes 16 years after the death of his brother Andrea, who died in August 2008 in a car accident on his way to the company. His wife Ilaria, his five children Greta, Giovanni, Iole, Tullio and Giulia and his mother Giorgia Gianolio were with him until the very end.

Paolo Pininfarina was born in Turin on 28 August 1958. After graduating in Mechanical Engineering from Turin Polytechnic, he began his career at Pininfarina in 1982. His commitment led him to a training experience in the United States in 1983, where he did an internship at Cadillac in Detroit, followed by a period in Japan at Honda. This international experience enriched his professional background, preparing him for roles of increasing responsibility.

From 1984 to 1986, Paolo held the position of Quality and Reliability Manager in the Allanté programme for Cadillac, demonstrating expertise and dedication in the luxury automotive industry. Later, between 1987 and 1989, he became Programme Manager in the GM 200 Engineering programme for General Motors, further consolidating his experience in the field of automotive engineering and design.

In 1987, Paolo Pininfarina took over as President and CEO of Pininfarina Extra s.r.l., a Pininfarina Group company specialising in industrial design, furniture, architecture, boating and aeronautics. From his first successful partnerships, such as the one with Snaidero, which saw him play a leading role in the international launch of the Ola kitchen - still in production after more than 30 years - Paolo started collaborations with leading international companies such as Alenia Aermacchi, Bovet, Calligaris, Chivas Regal, Coca-Cola, Costa Coffee, Lavazza, Motorola, Samsung, Unilever. Among the projects he is most proud of are the interiors of the new stadium of Juventus, his favourite team. In addition to the Cambiano (Turin) office, in 2006 he opened Pininfarina Extra USA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from which the current Pininfarina of America was to be derived, which today serves the American markets from the Miami and New York offices. During its leadership, Pininfarina Extra developed hundreds of projects, many of which won prestigious international design awards. Extra will later be merged into Pininfarina SpA in early 2019.

In addition to his key role within Pininfarina Extra, Paolo contributes significantly to the Pininfarina S.p.A. parent company. Since 1988, he has been a member of the Board of Directors and since 2002, a member of the Management Committee. In 2002, he took on the role of Quality System Management Manager, contributing to the achievement of ISOTS/16949 certification in July 2003. In 2006, he was appointed Vice Chairman of Pininfarina S.p.A. and in 2008, following the sudden death of his brother Andrea (then Chairman and CEO), he assumed the position of Chairman.