NEW YORK CITY (Feb. 15, 2012) — Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. has appointed Paolo Ferrari, formerly with Telecom Italia Group, chairman and CEO of its North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) region with the goal of strengthening Pirelli's commitment to its U.S., Canadian and Mexican operations.
At Telecom Italia, Mr. Ferrari headed mergers and acquisitions and international business development. Before joining the telecommunications group, Mr. Ferrari held positions in investment banking and consulting.
Mr. Ferrari's experience in cross-border management as well as his expertise in leading multinational operations will make a significant contribution to Pirelli's growth in the region, the company said.
He will be based at Pirelli Tire North America Inc.'s office in New York City.
Matteo Battaini, a 20-year Pirelli veteran who was named CEO of NAFTA last June, becomes chief operations officer for NAFTA, where his strong background in demand planning, supply chain and product management will help him oversee and maximize the region's operations necessary to support the aggressive growth plan.