Montezemolo appointed head of Alitalia

(ANSA) - Rome, November 26 - Former Ferrari chief Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has been appointed president of the new Alitalia following its tie-up with Etihad, ANSA sources said Wednesday after a meeting of shareholders. Montezemolo, who was nominated to the post at a board meeting earlier this month, replaces Roberto Colaninno who resigned as Alitalia president after the deal with Etihad was finalized in August.
    The shareholders were also expected to ratify the nomination of James Hogan, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, as Alitalia's new vice-president.
    Earlier this year, Etihad invested 560-million euros for a 49% stake in Alitalia and the deal was recently approved by the European Commission.
    Another change will see Silvio Cassano take over as CEO after Gabriele Del Torchio, who steered the Italian carrier during the negotiations with Etihad, announced he would resign once the deal was done.
    Montezemolo, 67, was chairman of luxury carmaker Ferrari for 23 years but resigned in September under pressure from Sergio Marchionne, chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) which owns Ferrari, after Ferrari did poorly in a series of Formula One seasons.