ROME, Ga. — Pirelli Tire North America Inc. is promoting Claudio Zanardo to its CEO position, effective Nov. 1, replacing Pietro Berardi, who is leaving the company to become the new CEO of AS Roma, a Serie A soccer team based in Rome, Italy.
Zanardo's promotion was made "in order to keep building on the solid work done so far and capture future growth opportunities in the region," Pirelli said in a statement. Mr. Zanardo will join the North American team from Pirelli's Milan headquarters, where he has most recently served as senior vice president moto and velo.
As CEO of the North American region, Zanardo will be responsible for the car, motorcycle and cycling businesses, as well as the tire maker's North American manufacturing facilities in Rome, Ga., and Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Mr. Zanardo has extensive experience in the automotive industry, according to Pirelli. He joined Ducati Motor Holding in 2004, where he served in a number of roles, including head of sales strategies and planning.
He joined Pirelli in 2015, taking charge of marketing and controlled retail for Region Europe until assuming responsibility for Driver Italia (Pirelli's franchise network) in 2016.
He was then appointed country chief executive officer of Italy, before moving to the role of senior vice president moto in January of 2020. In February 2021, he was also given responsibility for business velo.
"It's an honor to join the Pirelli team in North America, which is one of the most important markets for the company," Mr. Zanardo said. "The local team has done an incredible job of growing our brand and presence in the region and increasing product offering tailored specifically for this market.
"I am thrilled to build on this legacy and bring my knowledge of the industry, combined with my recent position at Pirelli's headquarters, to continue fueling our momentum."
