菲亚特•克莱斯勒掌门人刮起汽车业旋风

    本周，当整个汽车行业都在猜测谁将接替阿兰•穆拉利而成为福特公司（Ford）的新任首席执行官时，菲亚特•克莱斯勒公司（Fiat-Chrysler）首席执行官塞尔吉奥•马尔奇奥尼悄悄溜到纽约市，领取了一个国际企业促进组织颁发的奖项；同时，他还披露了一些个人动向。

    那是在纽约公共图书馆（New York Public Library）举行的一次黑色领结庆祝活动。马尔奇奥尼虽然是本次盛大活动的荣誉嘉宾，但他依然保持着自己的着装风格。在一片盛装的海洋中，他身着黑色条纹系扣衬衫、宽松的黑毛衣以及黑色休闲裤。当然，他的头发需要理理了。

    马尔奇奥尼对其公共形象有着精准的理解，他对与会人员解释说：“也许我应该觉得自己穿着太过随便，不适宜今天的场合，但我可不这么认为。我仔细地读过请柬，那上面清楚地写明，应着‘黑色领结或者民族服装’。有些人知道，目前我大部分时间都在出差途中，也许有人还知道我基本都是搭乘夜间航班，这样我就不会浪费白天的工作时间了。我为这种颠簸流浪的生活付出的代价是一切从简。服装方面则从里至外全是清一色的黑色。”

    他与穆拉利形成了鲜明的对照。如果穆拉利代表的是阳，则马尔奇奥尼则象征着阴：雄鹰童子军与颠覆性的革命者。本周，他们二位都接受了电视采访。穆拉利一如既往地泰然自若，对于福特首席执行官的继任者、以及他自己的退休计划均只字未提。“传言不实，”在《福克斯新闻》（Fox News）问及他是否准备离任时，穆拉利说。“但我可以理解人们为什么如此密切地关注福特，因为对于美国而言，这家公司及其它的成功都太重要了。”同时，一向口无遮拦的马尔奇奥尼对多个话题都滔滔不绝，这些话题从欧元的未来到克莱斯勒首次公开募股无所不包。

    其表演堪称一绝，不可错过，因为在汽车业，马尔奇奥尼的形象可谓独一无二。你还能想到其他有哪位首席执行官喜欢自我形容为“简单、无家可归、四处流浪的金属打击乐手？”这一形象中散发出亲切的幽默感、极端的直率、以及彻底的坦诚。如比尔•弗拉西克在《汽车往事》（Once Upon a Car）一书中所引述，他与头回见面的克莱斯勒高管致意的方式如今已堪称典范。马尔奇奥尼没说半句自我介绍的废话，而是直截了当地说：“我知道你他妈是谁。坐下，跟我吃顿饭。

    While the rest of the automotive world was wrestling this week with the question of who would succeed Alan Mulally as Ford CEO, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne slipped into New York City to accept an award from a group promoting international business -- and made some news of his own.

    The event was a black-tie gala held at the New York Public Library, but despite being the honored guest at the glittering event, Marchionne remained loyal to his sartorial signature. Amidst the pomp, he showed up in a black gingham button-down shirt, baggy black sweater and black slacks. And oh yes, he needed a haircut.

    Marchionne has an acute understanding of his public persona and he explained himself to his audience this way: "I should be feeling underdressed, but I don't. I read the invitation carefully, and it states clearly that attire is 'black tie or national dress.' Some of you know that I am spending a lot of time travelling, at night one might add, so that I do not waste working hours. The price I had to pay for this vagabonding around is to strive for simplicity in everything else I do. Attire choice had to go, and replaced by a monastic monochromatic theme: Black on black."

    The contrast with Mulally is especially dramatic. Marchionne is the ying to Mulally's yang: the subversive rebel vs. the Eagle Scout. Both men were interviewed on television this week; true to form, Mulally blandly revealed nothing about the Ford (F, Fortune 500) succession or his own retirement plans. "It's not true," Mulally said when asked by Fox News if he was leaving. "But I can understand people following Ford closely because it's so important and its success is so important to the United States." Meanwhile, the always-tangy Marchionne held forth on a variety of topics, ranging from the future of the euro to the timing of a Chrysler IPO.

    It is a fascinating performance to watch because Marchionne has created an image for himself that is unique in the auto industry. What other CEO can you think of who likes to characterize himself as a "simple, homeless, ever-wandering metal basher?" The image consists in equal measure of disarming humor, laser-like clarity, and brutal honesty. You see it in his now-classic greeting to a Chrysler executive whom he was meeting for the first time, quoted in Bill Vlasic's Once Upon a Car. In lieu of an introduction, Marchionne said, "I know who the f*** you are. Sit down. Let's eat."