The burden of the family company: Leopoldo Pirelli and his times

Leopoldo Pirelli was the third generation to run the family firm and a key character of Italian capitalism. He played a major role in Italy’s biggest merger and served as Head of the Committee for Reforms of the Italian Confederation of Industrialists. As head of Pirelli, he was appreciated by shareholders and by management. Though intent on internationalisation, he failed twice (the ‘Union’ with Dunlop and later with continental). After this second failure he resigned. A respected leader of the international business community, Pirelli failed at his most important task – transforming a family firm into a public company.