Roberto Colaninno, the entrepreneur who transformed Piaggio, has died

Roberto Colanino, the famous entrepreneur who collaborated with Carlo De Benedetti during the launch of Olivetti in the IT field, he left us at the age of 80 in his hometown of Mantua. Colaninno was one of main protagonists of the world of motorbikes, as evidenced by his role as president and CEO of Piaggio (group which also controls, among others, the Vespa, Gilera, Scarabeo, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Derbi brands).

Under his leadership, the company had exponential growth on a commercial level in every corner of the world, achieving numerous successes also in the sporting field. Colaninno was also instrumental in the rebirth of a historic Lombard brand such as Moto Guzzi, with the production of some models that reached the top of sales. He leaves a legacy of innovation and passion for two wheels that he will continue to live on. He had a diploma in accounting and had worked in the business sector for over 50 years. His funeral will be held privately in Mantua.

Colaninno began his career in 1969 at Fiaam Filter, an Italian car components company based in Mantua. In 1981, he founded Sogefi, a mechanical components company, based in the same city. In 1995, Colaninno became CEO of Olivetti. He transformed the company into a telecommunications holding company and sold Omnitel in 1998 for over 7 billion euros. In 1999, he launched a takeover bid for Telecom Italia. The operation was successful and Colaninno became president and CEO. In 2002, Colaninno acquired Immsi, an industrial holding company, listed on the stock exchange.

A moment of silence will be observed today in honor of Roberto Colaninno, the former president and CEO of the Piaggio Group, during the Sprint Race at the Red Bull Ring. The MotoGP race will see the Aprilia team, which is part of the Piaggio Group, on the track with riders Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaró. The latter recently triumphed at the Silverstone race.