Kevin O'Toole/LONDON
A FURTHER ROUND of restructuring is expected at Alenia following a shake-up of the top jobs at the Italian aerospace group by its parent Finmeccanica.
Giorgi Zappa has been appointed to head Alenia, while joint presidents Fausto Cereti and Enrico Gimelli will move to new jobs elsewhere within the group.
Zappa joined Alenia as general director in 1993, after a successful career at the Italian state-owned steel grouping IFVA. He helped to turn around the group ready for partial privatisation. He brings with him a reputation for tight industrial management.
IFVA was the steel arm of IRI, the giant state-owned holding company, which controls a large chunk of Italian industry, including Finmeccanica and national airline Alitalia. Further privatisations are expected as the debt-laden holding company restructures.
Finmeccanica itself has been in the process of reorganising its aerospace and defence interests, which were expanded in 1993 by the addition of five companies, including Agusta, from the failed state holding-company, EFIM.
Besides Agusta and Alenia's own operations, Finmeccanica's defence and electronics interests include the enlarged Fiar avionics operation, Otto Melara, SMA and Galileo. It also holds a 35% stake in Aermacchi and an interest in bankrupt Piaggio.
In his new job, Gimelli will join the Finmeccanica management team to oversee group strategy in handling these defence operations. In a brief statement, Finmeccanica says that the need for a "more clearly defined management structure" for its defence businesses, lie behind the board room shake-up.
Cereti has been moved within Alenia to handle the company's strategy on partnerships and joint ventures. These include the merger between ATR and British Aerospace Regional Aircraft, as well as the alliance discussions with McDonnell Douglas. Further partnerships and, possibly, disposals are expected as Finmeccanica slims down its aerospace and defence operations to a profitable core.
Source: Flight International
