“Ferrari: a new goal. And a new starting point.” THIS is the phase that Sergio Marchionne wrote on 4 January 2016 in the Italian Stock Exchange tribute book, marking the debut of the Prancing Horse at Piazza Affari, the home of the Stock Exchange in Milan, in the wake of the brand’s momentous entry onto the NYSE. The CEO of the Italian Stock Exchange Raffaele Jerusalmi was in charge of doing the honours, in the presence of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
The traditional bell, rung by the company’s Chairman Marchionne, Vice-President Piero Ferrari and the President of the FCA John Elkann signaled the start of stock trading, and Palazzo Mezzanotte (the building that is home to the Italian stock exchange) was decorated in red by the banners of the Maranello marque.The listing on the Milan stock exchange served to open up Ferrari’s shareholding structure, increasing the share of freely-traded securities on the market from 10% to 66%. Furthermore, the split from the FCA Group enabled Ferrari to formalise the independence that the brand has always enjoyed within the group. In his speech at the ceremony to mark the opening of trading, Marchionne emphasised the fact that the brand’s entry onto the Italian financial market represented a starting point for Ferrari, enabling it to exploit its potential as fully as possible and acquire a solid platform for future growth opportunities. Furthermore, Ferrari’s Chairman reiterated that “Italian character is one of the fundamental values of Ferrari”, thanking John Elkann and Piero Ferrari, the heirs of the men who in 1969, shook hands on an alliance that was founded on mutual respect: Giovanni Agnelli and Enzo Ferrari. Similarly, the Chairman had words of thanks for the city of Milan, where in the 20s, the founder achieved his first ever goals as a racing driver behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. Now, it’s up to the company that bears his name to conquer another important challenge.