NEW YORK—Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. has named Pierluigi Dinelli, CEO for Pirelli Italia, to be chairman and CEO of Pirelli's NAFTA region, effective Jan. 1, succeeding Paolo Ferrari, who will become CEO of Pirelli Latin America.
Mr. Dinelli brings more than a decade of international experience to the position, including three years (2004-06) at Pirelli Tire North America Inc. (PTNA) as marketing director and four years at Italian brake manufacturer Brembo S.p.A. He returned to Pirelli from Brembo in January this year to be CEO of Pirelli Italia.
“I look forward to returning to America as the new chairman and CEO of Pirelli Tire North America,” Mr. Dinelli said. “The local team has done an incredible job of growing market share and driving new initiatives. I am thrilled to build on [Mr. Ferrari's] legacy and bring my knowledge of the market, combined with my recent position at Pirelli's headquarters, to continue fueling our momentum.”
During Mr. Ferrari's three-year tenure as CEO of PTNA, the company expanded its industrial foot print with the construction of a factory in Silao, Mexico, the renewal of the product portfolio with the introduction of replacement “Plus” lines, and the enhancement of marketing and distribution programs such as the FasTrack associate dealer program.
“It has been a true honor to lead the NAFTA team and lay the foundation for continued future growth for Pirelli in North America,” Mr. Ferrari said.
“Our investments in North America show Pirelli's commitment to the region and it has been exciting to see our brand and presence growth in the region. While I'm sad to leave a talented team and exciting marketplace, I'm also looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities that await me in Latin America.”
With six plants in three countries and nearly $2.9 billion in sales, Pirelli Latin America is roughly twice the size of PTNA, which covers two plants and $1.5 billion in sales.