Paolo Pininfarina, nephew of the founder of the historic brand, has passed away

Listen to the audio version of the article

The entrepreneur Paolo Pininfarina, president of the group of the same name, has passed away in Turin. Son of the senator for life, Sergio Pininfarina, and nephew of the founder of Pininfarina, ‘Pinin’ Farina, he was 65 years old and had been ill for some time. After graduating in mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic of Turin, he 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 while on his way to the company. His wife Ilaria, his five children Greta, Giovanni, Iole, Tullio and Giulia and his mother Giorgia Gianolio were close to him until the end.

Experiences in the United States and Japan

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

From 1984 to 1986, Paolo held the role of Quality and Reliability Manager in the Allanté program for Cadillac, demonstrating competence and dedication in the luxury automotive sector. Subsequently, between 1987 and 1989, he became Program Manager in the GM 200 Engineering program for General Motors, further consolidating his experience in the field of automotive engineering and design.

President and CEO of Pinifarina Extra

In 1987, Paolo Pininfarina assumed the role of President and CEO of Pininfarina Extra srl, a Pininfarina Group company specializing in industrial design, furniture, architecture, nautical and aeronautics. From the first successful partnerships, such as the one with Snaidero, which saw him as the protagonist of the international launch of the Ola kitchen – still in production after over 30 years – Paolo began 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 will be most proud of are the interiors of the new Juventus stadium, his favorite team. In addition to the Cambiano (Turin) headquarters, in 2006 Pininfarina Extra USA opened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from which the current Pininfarina of America would later derive, which today serves the American markets from the offices in Miami and New York. During his leadership, Pininfarina Extra developed hundreds of projects, many of which won prestigious international design awards. Extra will subsequently be merged into Pininfarina SpA at the beginning of 2019.

In addition to his key role within Pininfarina Extra, Paolo contributes significantly to the parent company Pininfarina SpA. Since 1988, he has been a member of the Board of Directors and since 2002, a member of the Management Committee. Starting from 2002, he assumed the role of Quality System Management Manager, contributing to the achievement of ISOTS/16949 certification in July 2003. In 2006, he was appointed Vice President of Pininfarina SpA and from 2008, after the sudden death of his brother Andrea (all President and CEO era) assumes the position of President.