Ferrari considers appointing Marchionne as CEO

Sergio Marchionne

MILAN (Bloomberg) — Ferrari is considering appointing Sergio Marchionne as CEO after Amedeo Felisa retires from the post in the coming months, people familiar with the matter said.

Marchionne, who is already chairman of Ferrari and CEO of Ferrari owner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, may take full responsibility at the division before it's spun off in early 2016, adding the job to his list of positions, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private talks before an official announcement.

Felisa, an engineer who has been at Ferrari since 1990 and was named CEO in 2008, may keep an advisory role at the automaker, said the people. Discussions about Felisa's replacement are under way, and no final decision has been made, the people said. Ferrari declined to comment.

Fiat Chrysler is selling a 10 percent holding in Ferrari in an initial public offering targeted for October as part of a plan to raise cash. Fiat Chrysler will distribute its remaining 80 percent stake in Ferrari to shareholders at the beginning of next year, making the supercar maker independent. Marchionne has said the business is worth more than 10 billion euros ($11.3 billion), more than half of Fiat Chrysler's market value.

Marchionne plans to develop the supercar maker into a full-fledged luxury brand like Prada or Hermes International. He took the Ferrari chairman role last year in place of Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who stepped down after more than two decades in the post following clashes on strategy.