ENTREVISTA
Marcello Gambarini, Manager Director of Pirelli
Marcello Gambarini began his career with Pirelli in 1973 after graduating from the Polytechnical University in Milan with a degree in aeronautical engineering. Over the years his responsibilities at the company have grown, and he is now the managing director of Pirelli's tire market in Benelux.
"Young professionals shouldn't fear risk"
Since leaving IESE, Marcello Gambarini has worked for Pirelli his entire professional career. This has giving him a insight to the working of a truly multinational company
THE HISTORY OF PIRELLI AND ITS MISSION
El IESE cumple cuarenta años. Desde 1958, más de 18.000 empresarios y directivos de España y otros países del mundo han pasado por las aulas de la avenida Pearson, en Barcelona, y de la carretera de Castilla, en Madrid.
La modernización de los modelos de gestión y una forma de orientar la empresa basada en la ética, la responsabilidad y la solidaridad enfocada desde un humanismo cristiano son algunos de los rasgos diferenciales que comparten todos los programas impartidos en el IESE. Con motivo del 40 aniversario hablamos con su director general, el profesor Carlos Cavallé, vinculado a la Facultad desde sus inicios.
· What skills and capabilities do you think young professionals need for a successful career in an international company?
First of all I think that managers of international companies need to be flexible and understand the people around them. Today, managers need to be able to understand and work with multicultural teams. They need the capacity to understand different problems that exist in different areas of business, including what is going on with the products their companies are producing.
Secondly, managers must have an extraordinary capacity to understand and learn quickly. Technology is everywhere in every kind of business, and businesses are focused around the fast-paced world of technology, so managers must be able to assimilate quickly.
Lastly, executives must have positive attitudes towards risk taking. Managers must be unconventional in their thinking. Men and women who make good managers are not averse to risk, they are open to new technology and new ideas.
· What advice can you give to young professionals just beginning their careers?
Dive into a sound business culture. First of all, go to an international business school to improve your knowledge and diversify your experience. Next, work either for various international companies or in different divisions of the same international company. This will help you to gain a broad understanding of business and acquire a global mentality.
· But in large organizations with complex multinational structures how is it possible to channel all these new ideas?
We at Pirelli, for example, only employ people with the capacity to take risks and make unconventional decisions. On the other hand, young professionals must be able to defend their ideas if they want to see them implemented. This idea of embracing risk runs throughout the company, especially in the electronic and fiber optic division. It's also important to work in culturally diverse teams.
Inside Pirelli
· What do you think are the most important corporate values for Pirelli?
The most important value that the company holds is its work ethic. In the head office in Milan, which is the center of the whole company, there is a plaque on the wall that says in Italian: &laqno;Sempre el dobere» (Duty before any-thing else). The history of the company is strongly Calvinistic, and the sense of duty is a high priority.
· And what else is important?
Secondly, the product is very important to the company. We put a lot of emphasis on the product. Our priorities include coming up with new ideas and designing and producing products. One other fundamental concern of Pirelli is the honesty and integrity of our people. We have never had any problems with dishonesty or the behavior of our employees.
Managing in a Global Market
· Pirelli is a big company with subsidiaries in five continents. How do you manage to harmonize all of the different cultures of Pirelli workers with the core values of the company?
Pirelli's corporate culture has always been extremely homogeneous. In the past, the Pirelli family was involved in all sectors of the company, and today we make a concerted effort to hold on to the values the company was founded on.
· How is Pirelli organized?
The central office is Italian. It is in Milan. There are also three other autonomous headquarters: one in Europe, one in South America and one in North America. In general, the director of each country is responsible for all the decision making.
· Has the upcoming European Monetary Union affected your company's structure?
Ten years ago, each country in Europe developed its own business strategy. However, these days Europe is becoming more and more integrated. Because of this integration all of the important decisions about the European market are now made by the Milan office.
· In light of the increased integration in Europe, what are you doing on a local level to integrate your offices?
Effectively, there is a lot of market integration and we ourselves have been focusing on becoming more integrated. First of all, for the past three or four years we have had the same computer systems in each office which has given us continuity. We also use the same methodology in each office. We are really connected and we work with the same tools which is an essential component for integration.
· How do the managers from different cultures communi-cate their ideas and make sure they are focusing on the same goals?
Twice every year there is a convention for each department. For example, managers from marketing, logistics and production each meet with other managers from their respective departments. We also hold a lot of international training programs for managers at each level: new recruits, mid-level managers, and senior managers.
These meetings provide an opportunity for people from different backgrounds and different countries to mix with each other and share ideas. There is also an important meeting each year for the president of the company and all the managers from around the world.
At this meeting we discuss and communicate the company's strategies, priorities, goals and objectives.
· Are all the European managers Italian?
In the past, nearly every European and South American branch was managed by Italians. This is less and less true as time goes on. Now, for example, there are many South Americans working in both Europe and North America.
· Do the managers have the opportunity to work in different countries?
All the managers of Pirelli are on a rotation system which allows them to work in various countries. For example, a Briton may first work in Milan, then in South America, and then in Europe again.
The future at Pirelli
· What are Pirelli's future goals?
Our fundamental target is to maintain a clear and stable company culture.
This is important in order to ass-ure our long-term strategy and goals, and to keep a coherent image of the company.
· In your opinion how will the introduction of the new Euro currency affect your company?
It will lead to rapid integration of the European branches. Integration will facilitate the interaction of European management and allow the company to focus more on intercontinental activities. Finally, the company will be perceived by its customers and competitors as more compact and unified.
Pirelli & Co. was established in 1872 in Milan by the 24-year-old engineer Giovanni Battista Pirelli. A year later he set up the first rubber goods factory, and then broadened his oper-ations to include manufacturing insulated telegraph wires, submarine telegraph cables, and bicycle and automobile tires. The fast-growing company didn't waste any time expanding. It opened offices in Spain in 1902, in Great Britain in 1914 and in Argentina in 1917. This rapid expansion has continued up through the present day. Currently, Pirelli has manufacturing plants in 16 countries spanning five continents.
Pirelli is perhaps best known for the success of its tires in the racing circuit. To date Pirelli tires have carried over 80 Grand Prix automobiles to victory. The company attributes this and all of its successes both to its deep roots in local markets throughout the world, and to its continued focus on its two core products: tires and cables. The company also emphasizes the importance it places on technological research and the impact that Pirelli products have on the environment.
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