With Giuseppe Bono's death, 'a great leader leaves us'

'A great leader leaves us,' Fincantieri said in an announcement today, crediting Bono's contribution to the 'relaunch of Italian naval engineering which today can boast undisputed world leadership.'

Stepped down in April

Bono served as CEO of the shipbuilding group until stepping down in April at age 78. He saw Fincantieri through the pandemic, returning the Italian yards to record production volumes exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels in 2021 and even winning new orders.

Diversification

Cruise customers expanded from leading customer Carnival Corp. & plc and its brands to MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys; Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises; Viking and Virgin Voyages. (In July, Fincantieri scored an order for Four Seasons Yachts.)

Not only did Bono make Fincantieri a cruise shipbuilding powerhouse, he diversified the business and expanded with multiple shipyard acquisitions, including Vard.

Reference operator in all sectors of high-tech shipbuilding

Under Bono, Fincantieri became a reference operator in all sectors of high-technology shipbuilding, from military vessels to offshore vessels, from special vessels and highly complex ferries to mega-yachts. The group also focused on repairs and transformations, manufacturing of systems and components and after-sales services.

'Courageous and far-sighted vision'

Bono 'developed and pursued a courageous and far-sighted vision, with constant attention to people, always taking up the most difficult challenges and always pursuing the interest of the country,' Fincantieri Executive Chairman Claudio Graziano CEO Pierroberto Folgiero said in a joint statement.

'The firm respect for work as a primary value was the distinctive feature and the beacon of his actions,' they continued. 'His death deeply grieves the whole Fincantieri community.'

Memorial scholarship

In memory of Bono, flags at all Fincantieri Group offices and yards will fly at half mast until the day of the funeral, scheduled for Nov. 12. The company will observe a minute's silence of recollection at 12 noon Wednesday.

To celebrate his legacy, the Council Room in the company's Trieste HQ will be named in Bono's memory and Fincantieri Group announced a scholarship will be launched in his name to remember the values he cherished, centred on training and dedication to work.

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