Paolo Dellachà Named New CEO and General Manager of Pininfarina

Pininfarina’s leadership change is aimed at strengthening the legendary design house’s global presence and integration within the automotive industry.

Board Appointment and Immediate Effect

Pininfarina’s Board of Directors has appointed Paolo Dellachà as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and General Manager, effective immediately. Dellachà was co-opted onto the board as a member until the next shareholders’ meeting and simultaneously given the top executive roles. He joins Pininfarina from Automobili Pininfarina GmbH, where he previously served as CEO – a Munich-based luxury car manufacturer known for the Battista electric hypercar. The board’s decision followed a thorough selection process: Pininfarina’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee recommended Dellachà, and the Related-Party Transactions Committee and the Management Control Committee each gave favorable opinions on his nomination. This appointment comes after a search process with earlier updates on October 28 and November 13, 2025, indicating the company’s plan to fill the leadership vacancy promptly

Strategic Synergies and New Vice Chairman

In a statement, Pininfarina said that Dellachà’s appointment “will enhance synergies and collaboration within the Group, supporting the development of future programs and strengthening the global positioning of the Pininfarina brand”. This suggests a strategic effort to leverage closer integration between Pininfarina’s design expertise and its automotive ventures, aligning the 95-year-old company with new opportunities in the mobility sector. The Board of Directors also named Jay Noah Itzkowitz as Vice Chairman of the Board, with immediate effect. Itzkowitz has been a board member and will now take on a greater leadership role alongside Dellachà to support the company’s governance and global strategy.

Leadership Comments

Pininfarina’s Chairwoman Lucia Morselli welcomed the new CEO, expressing confidence in his impact on the company’s growth. “I am very pleased to welcome Paolo Dellachà. Paolo will bring energy and passion to his new role and, thanks to his experience, will make a decisive contribution in continuing to drive Pininfarina’s growth and the execution of its strategic plans,” Morselli stated. Her remarks underscore the expectation that Dellachà will accelerate the implementation of Pininfarina’s strategic initiatives and further the company’s evolution in design and innovation.

Dellachà, upon taking the helm, conveyed enthusiasm about the road ahead. He thanked the board for its trust and noted that he approaches this opportunity “with enthusiasm, inspired by the strength of 95 years of tradition, craftsmanship and innovation of the brand.” He praised the Pininfarina team’s passion and expertise, which have brought the company “to the pinnacle of automotive design, as well as in the fields of architecture, yachting, industrial design and product design”. These comments reflect his appreciation of Pininfarina’s diversified design legacy and his commitment to honor its heritage while guiding future growth.

Background and Industry Context

Paolo Dellachà, 47, is a seasoned automotive engineer with a career spanning both high-performance vehicle development and design consulting. Before leading Automobili Pininfarina, Dellachà worked at Ferrari and Maserati, and later joined Pininfarina S.p.A. as Product and Engineering Director. In early 2023, he was promoted to CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, where he oversaw the launch of the all-electric Battista hypercar and planned its production in Italy. His cross-disciplinary experience in engineering and design positions him well to bridge Pininfarina’s creative studios with the demands of modern automotive manufacturing.

Dellachà succeeds Silvio Pietro Angori, who had been Pininfarina’s CEO since 2009 and stepped down in late October 2025. Angori’s departure, officially termed a mutual separation, came after 19 years with the company amid reported strategic differences with Pininfarina’s owner, the Mahindra Group, which acquired the Italian design house in 2015. Under Angori’s tenure, Pininfarina transitioned from car production to focus on design, engineering services, and new ventures in architecture and industrial design. However, integration with Mahindra’s automotive initiatives had been limited – the Indian parent often channeled projects through Automobili Pininfarina (its Monaco-based subsidiary for electric hypercars) rather than Pininfarina’s Turin design.

The choice of Dellachà as CEO signals a closer alignment between Pininfarina and Mahindra’s global automotive strategy. Coming from Mahindra’s carmaking unit, Dellachà is expected to foster greater collaboration between the famed Italian design firm and its parent company’s vehicle programs. This move could bridge the gap between Pininfarina’s design legacy and Mahindra’s electrification and luxury performance ambitions, ensuring that the Pininfarina brand remains at the forefront of innovation in both automotive design and broader creative industries. As Pininfarina approaches its 95th anniversary, the new leadership aims to revitalize growth and maintain the company’s status as a symbol of Italian automotive artistry while navigating the future of mobility.