Leadership Shake-Up at Pininfarina: CEO Silvio Angori Steps Down After 19 Years

Turin, October 29, 2025 – A major change has struck one of Italy’s most famous design houses. Silvio Angori, CEO of Pininfarina, has resigned after 19 years at the helm of the historic Turin-based company. The move, officially described as a “mutual separation,” comes amid reported strategic differences with the company’s Indian owner, Mahindra Group, which acquired Pininfarina in 2015.

An official statement confirms that the search for a new CEO has begun, while industry sources indicate growing tension between management in Italy and the Mahindra leadership over the future direction of the brand.

From Crisis to Reinvention

Born in Castiglione del Lago in 1961, Angori joined Pininfarina in 2007 as general manager and became CEO in 2009. A physics graduate with an MBA from Chicago, he was appointed following the death of Andrea Pininfarina, heir to the founding family, and was tasked with steering the company through financial turmoil.

Under his leadership, Pininfarina shifted from vehicle production to design, engineering, and innovation services, closing its assembly plants and diversifying into architecture, industrial design, and mobility consulting. Angori also oversaw partnerships with Bolloré for the Bluecar project and maintained collaborations with automakers such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Peugeot.

Mahindra Era and Internal Strain

When Mahindra acquired a controlling stake in 2015, Pininfarina was near insolvency. Angori managed the delicate transition, keeping the brand active through global design contracts with Ferrari, VinFast, Foxconn, and others, even as the company scaled back its engineering footprint.

Despite a backlog of €150 million in design and engineering orders, revenues have declined by 16% over the last half year to €40 million, with an operating loss of €5 million. The company employs around 270 people in Italy.

Tensions reportedly emerged as Mahindra’s automotive division increasingly bypassed Turin, favoring its Monaco-based subsidiary Automobili Pininfarina, which develops electric hypercars like the Battista. The Indian group has rarely used the Turin design center for its own models, limiting Pininfarina’s integration into Mahindra’s global automotive strategy.

What’s Next for Pininfarina

Unions Fim, Uilm, and Fiom have requested meetings with management on November 3 to discuss the leadership change and the company’s future. With Angori’s departure, Pininfarina faces a crucial transition in defining its role within the Mahindra Group — between its historic identity as an independent Italian design icon and the global ambitions of its parent company.