Marchionne currently splits his time between Italy and the U.S. Will he be focusing himself on Detroit going forward?
As the saying goes, home is where the heart is. Thus, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne’s decision to serve as the campaign chair for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan is certain to be parsed for its underlying significance in a multinational company, such as Fiat/Chrysler, with deep roots on both sides of the Atlantic.
Sure, most of the job will be handled by his staff, cynics might suggest, but, still, he could have begged off completely because of his overloaded travel schedule.
But Marchionne, who went to school in Windsor, across the river from Detroit, has elected to get involved in the task of helping the United Way raise money for worthy but unglamorous causes such as Boys and Girls Clubs.
As Campaign Chair, Marchionne will be the face and voice of the UWSEM fundraising and education efforts and will lead the recruitment of leaders within Southeast Michigan to serve as members of his cabinet, which will work to promote the growth and impact of the campaign among businesses and individuals.
Marchionne’s tenure as Campaign Chair actually began on January 1 and concludes on December 31, 2012.
“Chrysler Group and the United Way have nurtured a longstanding relationship built upon the shared goal of contributing meaningfully and sustainably to people and communities in need,” Marchionne said. “At the center of this strategy is the belief that we are all connected and must work to advance the common good — we all succeed when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, and when people and communities are healthy.”
“As this year’s Campaign Chair, Sergio Marchionne brings high-caliber thought leadership to our organization at a critical time,” said Michael J. Brennan, President and CEO, United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
“Both United Way and Chrysler Group have undergone dramatic transformations in recent years,” Brennan continued. “We recognize the parallel need to transform the region through our mutual commitment to furthering the work of United Way’s Agenda for Change impact areas–Education, Financial Stability and Basic Needs. We are very fortunate that Mr. Marchionne is leading the 2012 Campaign.”