Passings: Sergio Marchionne, 2015 recipient of the Hennick Medal for Career Achievement

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Sergio Marchionne, the 2015 recipient of the Hennick Medal for Career Achievement and former Fiat Chrysler CEO has died on July 25 at the age of 66.

Sergio Marchionne was a graduate from the LLB program at Osgoode Hall Law School in 1983 followed by an MBA from the University of Windsor in 1985.  He began his professional career in Canada holding positions with companies such as Deloitte & Touche, Lawson Group, Glenex Industries and Acklands, before going on to international positions and board appointments.  He had just stepped down from his long-held position as Chief Executive Officer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.

Alex Despotovic, JD/MBA’19 has fond memories of his encounter with Marchionne “I had the chance to meet Mr. Marchionne when he came back to his alma mater, Osgoode Hall Law School, to receive the Hennick Medal for Career Achievement. Following his address, he took the time to speak to a number of us who were at the time first-year law students. He demonstrated interest in each student individually, and despite the long lines of professionals and former classmates looking to speak to him, he made sure to ask us each about our time at the school, all while sharing stories about his time there as well.  He was truly a great executive, Canadian, and Osgoode graduate – and I’m happy to have had the fortune to meet him.”

“Sergio was a great role model for so many.” said Edward J. Waitzer, Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business, and Director of the Hennick Centre “His accessibility was part of what made him so impactful. He will be remembered and missed.”

Read more about his vibrant career here:

Sergio Marchionne, the CEO who saved Fiat and Chrysler, dies at 66 via @CNNMoney