Vittorio Merloni (30 April 1933 – 18 June 2016) was an Italian entrepreneur and industrialist. He was the honorary chairman of
Indesit (chaired by his son Andrea Merloni) and Fineldo (chaired by his daughter Antonella), the family holding company that controls Indesit and other group interests.
Early life
Vittorio Merloni was the son of
Aristide Merloni. He had a degree in economics and commerce from the
University of Perugia
The University of Perugia ( Italian ''Università degli Studi di Perugia'') is a public university in Perugia, Italy. It was founded in 1308, as attested by the Bull issued by Pope Clement V certifying the birth of the Studium Generale.
The offi ...
.
Career
His entrepreneurial career began in the 1960s in the family business. In 1975 he founded Merloni Elettrodomestici (renamed
Indesit in 2005) and he became the chairman, holding the position continuously until 29 April 2010, when he left the presidency to his son Andrea and was appointed honorary chairman.
The company, listed on the Milan stock exchange since 1987, is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers and distributors of large home appliances (washing machines, dryers, washer-dryers, dishwashers, fridges, freezers, cookers, hoods, ovens and hobs).
He became president of
Confindustria
The General Confederation of Italian Industry (), commonly known as Confindustria, is the Italy, Italian small, medium, and big enterprises federation, acting as a private and autonomous chamber of commerce, founded in 1910. The association netwo ...
(the Italian Employers’ Federation), a post he held for four years. In 1984, the year he was made a “Cavaliere del lavoro”, he was elected president of Centromarca, an Italian brand association, a post he held until 1988.
In 2001 he began a four-year presidency of Assonime, an Italian association of public limited companies. In the same year, he received an honorary doctorate in management engineering from the
Politecnico di Milano. Since then he received various awards and acknowledgements: in 2003, two years after Indesit took over
Hotpoint, a UK brand, he was made a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
.
In 2004 he received the Leonardo Award for Internationalization and in 2005 he received the GEI (Gruppo Esponenti Italiani) award in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, in recognition and appreciation of his work in trade and industry, a contribution which has done much to improve Italy’s image abroad.
Personal life
He was married to Franca Carloni and had four children: Maria Paola, Andrea, Antonella and Aristide. He died on 18 June 2016 at the age of 83.
Vittorio Merloni, business tycoon – obituary
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References
External links
Indesit Company's institutional site
1933 births
2016 deaths
20th-century Italian businesspeople
People from Fabriano
University of Perugia alumni
Honorary commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Indesit Company
Presidents of Confindustria
21st-century Italian businesspeople
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