The Agnellis and the Fiat Group: The Story of a Family Empire (A)

These cases synthesize the most important events and turning points in the history of Fiat, one of the largest companies in Italy, and deal with the issues the Agnellis faced to secure their control of the company despite several financial crises and tragic family events. In particular, they can be used to reflect on the typical issues faced by family-owned businesses, such as how to manage the succession to new generations (in Fiat, there are now representatives of the fifth generation sitting on the board of directors); Plan this succession; Control and manage possible conflicts among family members; Avoid dilution of ownership and the loss of control even in tough financial periods; Regain effective control from CEOs and management teams not belonging to the family.