See and hear two creative masterminds in conversation in this special event focusing on innovation and creativity. Sergio Marchionne is chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC and CEO of Fiat S.p.A. John C Jay, Ohio State Arts and Sciences alumnus, is co-global creative director for advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy.
Marchionne is credited with turning Chrysler Group and Fiat around. Jay's Wieden+Kennedy is the agency that developed the “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl ad campaigns for Chrysler that made a worldwide splash. In this event, Marchionne and Jay appear onstage together for the first time to discuss topics that include the powerful impact of innovative design and bold creative practice on successful businesses and, by extension, the American economy, as well as the complex and challenging process of reshaping a brand, and more. A Q & A with the audience follows their conversation.
ASL interpretation will be provided at this event.
FREE for students. $20 general public | $15 members and seniors | Group discounts for 10+ people available by calling box office at 614.292.2525
Tickets online at http://tickets.wexarts.org
Sergio Marchionne
Sergio Marchionne is chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC and CEO of Fiat S.p.A. He joined Fiat in 2004, returning it to profitability in 2005 after four straight years of losses, and spearheaded Fiat’s strategic alliance with Chrysler in 2009 with the support of U.S. and Canadian government and trade unions. A little over two years later, following its emergence from Chapter 11, Chrysler Group returned to profitability; in June of this year, sales were up 20 percent from the previous year. Noted The New York Times about Chrysler in April, “Under the direction of Mr. Marchionne and a revamped management team, the smallest of the Detroit Three has been transformed from an industry laggard into an unlikely leader.” The Guardian (UK) called it nothing short of an “automotive miracle.” Chrysler and Fiat are now global players in the automobile sector, leveraging product portfolios, purchasing power, and distribution capabilities of both partners (next up: the new Dodge Dart, derived from an Alfa Romeo architecture, and engineered and designed for the North American market).
Prior to joining Fiat, Marchionne helmed numerous companies in Europe. Marchionne is also a barrister, solicitor, and chartered accountant, with several degrees and honorary degrees from Canadian and Italian universities (as well as an honorary Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Toledo in Ohio). Marchionne is the current president of the board of directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). He holds the honor of Cavaliere del Lavoro (“Knight of Labor”), an Italian award for entrepreneurs in various sectors of the economy, and has received many other honors over the years, including the Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Leadership award from the Business Council for International Understanding. In 2011, Time magazine noted him among the “People Who Mattered” that year.
Marchionne was born in Italy and moved to Canada in his teens, and has dual Canadian and Italian citizenship. He divides his time between the Fiat headquarters in Italy and Chrysler Group headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
John C Jay
Columbus native John C Jay is currently the global executive creative director for the integrated advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, headquartered in Portland with offices worldwide, which he joined in 1993, becoming a partner in 1996. The agency has created innovative, award-winning campaigns for companies around the world, including Nike, Coca-Cola, P&G, Levi’s, ESPN, and Chrysler.
Jay helped to open the agency’s Tokyo, Shanghai, and Delhi offices. In Japan, he launched W+K Tokyo Lab, an award-winning independent music label featuring new Japanese music talent with innovative visual concepts and package designs.
Jay’s work has been shown in exhibitions at museums and galleries around the world. His book Soul of the Game received the Gold Medal at the Leipzig Book Fair in 1997 and was named one of the “14 Most Beautiful Books in the World” by the Copenhagen Museum. He has been dubbed one of the “40 Most Influential” in designby I.D. Magazine, and one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company Magazine. Prior to Wieden+Kennedy, Jay served for 12 years as Creative Director and Marketing Director for Bloomingdale’s, overseeing the creative marketing of all stores.
GQ Magazinenamed PING restaurant in Portland, co-owned and designed by Jay, as one of the “Top Ten New Restaurants in America” (2009). In 2011, The Art Directors Club in New York inducted Jay into the Hall of Fame. Jay served as the Jury Chairman in 2012 for the National Design Awards sponsored by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. He is also the cofounder and director of Studio J, a creative consultancy designing and investing in new products, retail, and digital concepts as well as real estate development.
An Ohio State alum, Jay created The Jay Scholarship at The Ohio State University to encourage students of Asian descent to pursue a career in the arts. He also teaches at The School of Visual Arts in New York City, lectures frequently, and writes about creativity and culture for international magazines and blogs. He serves on the boards of The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and Caldera, a non-profit organization committed to unleash the potential of at-risk youth.
