Luigi Macaluso
Encyclopedia
Luigi "Gino" Macaluso was the President and Chairman of the Sowind group
, under whose roof a watch Manufacture and the two Brands Girard-Perregaux
and JeanRichard are united. Since the long-term strategic cooperation agreement signed with PPR
in June 2008, he has also joined the Gucci Group Management Committee and the Boucheron Board of Directors.
Firmly convinced of the value of a genuine Manufacture, he has stood behind the development of an integrated production strategy. With his modern eye and his knowledge of architecture – he held a degree in the field– he has been closely involved in the design of the Brand’s creations.
Macaluso was President of the AIHH (Fine watchmaking Professional Association) in 1999, 2001 and 2004.
Sowind Group (Girard-Perregaux and JEANRICHARD) has issued a statement announcing that its Chairman, Luigi Macaluso, has unexpectedly died at age 62 after suffering a heart attack. Luigi, known as “Gino” by those closest to him, was married to Monica and was the father of four children, Stefano, Massimo, Anna and Margherita. More than 10 years ago, his two sons joined him at the head of the Sowind Group.
An architect, former motor racing driver and visionary entrepreneur, he had been behind the wheel of Girard-Perregaux since 1992. A firm believer in the value of an authentic Haute Horlogerie Manufacture, he pioneered the development of an integrated production strategy. A charismatic leader, he was able to make Sowind Group an essential player in Swiss Haute Horlogerie.
Stefano Macaluso
and Massimo Macaluso will strive to perpetuate his vision for this company of which he was so fond, and to continue the many projects that he had initiated with passion.
In 2008, he was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
. In 2009, he was appointed a Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour
.
as co-driver to Raffaele Pinto
in a Fiat 124 Sport Spider
. In 1985, he joined the Club Italia, a not-for-profit organization promoting the Italian historic car patrimony and over which he presides.
In 2001, he was elected President of the CSAI, the Italian Motor Sport Federation. He is currently President of the FIA’s Karting Commission and sits on the FIA World Council.
Sowind group
The Sowind Group is a Swiss « Haute Horlogerie » company founded by Luigi Macaluso and headed by François-Henri Pinaultas its Chairman since July 2011...
, under whose roof a watch Manufacture and the two Brands Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux is a high-end Swiss watch manufacture with its origins dating back to 1791. It is situated in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and is a part of the Sowind group, a subsidiary of PPR.- History :...
and JeanRichard are united. Since the long-term strategic cooperation agreement signed with PPR
PPR
PPR may refer to:* Pipe Penetrating Radar, Ground Penetrating Radar performed from inside buried pipe and conduit infrastructure* PPR , a French luxury goods and retail distribution company...
in June 2008, he has also joined the Gucci Group Management Committee and the Boucheron Board of Directors.
Career
He was born in Turin, Italy, on 9 June 1948. He founded one of the major watch wholesaling company in Italy in 1982 (Blancpain, Breitling, Hamilton). In 1987, he became the Italian distributor of Girard-Perregaux, a company with a history going back over more than 200 years. Created in Geneva in 1791 and then based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Girard-Perregaux draws on a savoir-faire firmly embedded in tradition. Its Tourbillon with three Gold Bridges is a landmark in the history of Swiss watchmaking. In 1989, he joined the Company's board of Directors. On 15 September 1992, he took over Girard-Perregaux. Under his leadership, the firm has refined its strategy, with a focus on the high-end segment.Firmly convinced of the value of a genuine Manufacture, he has stood behind the development of an integrated production strategy. With his modern eye and his knowledge of architecture – he held a degree in the field– he has been closely involved in the design of the Brand’s creations.
Macaluso was President of the AIHH (Fine watchmaking Professional Association) in 1999, 2001 and 2004.
Sowind Group (Girard-Perregaux and JEANRICHARD) has issued a statement announcing that its Chairman, Luigi Macaluso, has unexpectedly died at age 62 after suffering a heart attack. Luigi, known as “Gino” by those closest to him, was married to Monica and was the father of four children, Stefano, Massimo, Anna and Margherita. More than 10 years ago, his two sons joined him at the head of the Sowind Group.
An architect, former motor racing driver and visionary entrepreneur, he had been behind the wheel of Girard-Perregaux since 1992. A firm believer in the value of an authentic Haute Horlogerie Manufacture, he pioneered the development of an integrated production strategy. A charismatic leader, he was able to make Sowind Group an essential player in Swiss Haute Horlogerie.
Stefano Macaluso
Stefano macaluso
Stefano Macaluso was born in Italy, in Casale Monferrato on 6 September 1975.He attended high school and went to university in Turin, graduating with a degree in Architecture from the Politecnico in 2002....
and Massimo Macaluso will strive to perpetuate his vision for this company of which he was so fond, and to continue the many projects that he had initiated with passion.
Distinctions
In 1998, Luigi Macaluso was awarded the Gaia Prize for the entrepreneurship category, the highest distinction within the Swiss watchmaking world, attributed by the Musée International de l'Horlogerie.In 2008, he was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
. In 2009, he was appointed a Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour
Order of Merit for Labour
The Order of Merit for Labour was founded as national order of chivalry in 1923 by King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy; it is awarded to those "who have been singularly meritorious" in agriculture, industry and commerce, crafts, lending and insurance. It is a continuation of the earlier Ordine al...
.
Motor sports
Motor racing has played and continues to play a pivotal role in his life. In 1972, he won the title of European Rally ChampionEuropean Rally Championship
The European Rally Championship is the European continental championship series in rallying. It is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile .-History:...
as co-driver to Raffaele Pinto
Raffaele Pinto
Raffaele "Lele" Pinto is a former rally driver, who won the 1974 Rally Portugal.-Career:Pinto began rallying in 1968. In 1972, he won the European Rally Championship in a Fiat 124. The following year, the World Rally Championship was run for the first time, and Pinto competed with Fiat, winning...
in a Fiat 124 Sport Spider
Fiat 124 Sport Spider
The 124 Sport Spider is a 2+2 convertible marketed by Fiat from 1966 to 1979 – having debuted at the November 1966 Turin Auto Show. Designed and manufactured by Italian carrozzeria Pininfarina, Fiat continued to market the monocoque-bodied car as the 2000 Spider from 1979 to 1982...
. In 1985, he joined the Club Italia, a not-for-profit organization promoting the Italian historic car patrimony and over which he presides.
In 2001, he was elected President of the CSAI, the Italian Motor Sport Federation. He is currently President of the FIA’s Karting Commission and sits on the FIA World Council.
External links
- http://www.girard-perregaux.com Website of Girard-Perregaux
- http://www.worldtempus.com Website of Worldtempus
- http://www.fia.com Website of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile)
Further reading
- François Chaille, Girard-Perregaux, Editions Flammarion, 2004, ISBN 2-0801-1069-1
- ArmbandUhren, Special Girard-Perregaux, Peter Braun, 2007, ISBN 978-3-89880-808-8
- Worldtempus, www.worldtempus.com
- Vanity Fair On Time, October 2009
- http://www.cavalieridellavoro.it/
- Sowind Group press release 27 Oct. 2010