Sergio Marchionne?
 

What happened to Sergio Marchionne, head of Fiat-Chrysler? Something grave, it sounds like. 66 years-old, went in for shoulder surgery last month, and now suffering from complications. To the point where he has to step down (or maybe made to step down, if he's not conscious/cogent). I read phrases like "no coming back" and "not responding to treatment.". Certainly sounds gravity or even terminal, like stroke or massive heart attack or severe sepsis.

Sitting or beach chair position for shoulder surgery can contribute to intraoperative hypo-perfusion of the brain as well as airway access issues. interscalene blocks can cause or result in problems of a few sorts too. Lastly, heavy dose opiates for post-op pain control (shoulder surgery can be really uncomfortable) and OSA are potentially problematic. That he’s in the ICU 3 weeks after surgery is obviously not good.

There is also the potential for VIP medicine to be in play here.

Sure doesn't sound good from inside the org either. My sources there say he didn't even write his own resignation announcement or other comments to the senior staff, indicating he is not good at all (he is VERY hands on and would have done even something short / simple if at all possible). Everyone there, on both sides of the pond, are expecting the worst...

At the F1 race in Germany the "grid walk" made mention of something and they gave condolences to his family, but they never did mention what happened. More than a few of my friends over the years have had an aneurysm or heart attack and died in short order. Like Vash says, Poof, Gone.

I read he had a pedal to the metal lifestyle, including smoking like a chimney. Surgery at any age is dangerous but at 66 with high miles probably doesn't help. It sounds like they wrote him off - it is sad, it sounds like he was quite the manger at FC.

G

That's an understatement. Multiple cell phones always ringing, (one per division I heard), a 24/7 personal assistant, worked 20 hours per day. Etc.

Not a shock to me.

RIP https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/25/news/companies/sergio-marchionne-obit/index.html

Embolism was apparently the complication that did him in. Edit: Shoulder surgery was for cancer, so not an orthopedic operation as I had thought.

http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/marchionne-suffered-embolism-during-cancer-surgery

Noah, how common is that? I would guess smoking is a risk factor in embolisms. And you probably can't be on blood thinners when having surgery ...

G

Cancer can make blood more likely to clot. Clots can become embolic but so can other things.

Wow. Sounds like a fat embolism. And with some sort of sarcoma, as an underlying diagnosis.

A sarcoma is a type of cancer, so right there he has the potential for an imbalanced clotting system. Then he has what sounds like a fat embolism during the surgery? (Where some fat from the bone marrow gets caught in the bloodstream and travels until it gets stuck in the lung or brain.) Or I suppose it could have been a DVT due to the cancer and surgery--he's got all three criteria in Virchow's Triad for that. Regardless, an embolism is bad stuff. Either part of your lung dies, or part of your brain dies (stroke).

I had read he had a couple heart attacks along the way. Who knows when you're reading stuff in the news?

Either way, a sad end to this man's illustrious career and life.

It is like a new model car, you can drive it into the ground in 5 years if you put a lot of miles on it. You can do the same to your body. I am sure this guy had a lot of fun miles on his big road trip. I guess smoking would be like using the wrong fuel or not changing the oil on top of the wear and tear from the hard miles.

Remember, the average life expectancy in the US is 76.1 years for men. So, it isn't even a given we will make it to 66. Living a full life to 80 is not as common as it may seem ... :(

G

It is my observation that it isn't the miles, it is the wear.

He held meetings that ran 20+ hours. Starting Sunday 7AM.

He worked until 3AM and was back at work a couple of hours later.

He fired people who couldn't, or wouldn't, answer their phone when they were golfing on a Saturday.

Enough said.

^^^^ Well...I sure as hell couldn't have worked for him....

I don't golf ;)

Sad. In the big picture, who really wants to work themselves to death? Reminds me of the Japanese work ethic, occasionally in the news; flat out (often with unclaimed overtime) until deteriorating health or a suicide.

Balance.

NPR had nothing but good things to say about him, turned Chrysler around after the bailout, brought Fiat back to life........................guess it all had a price.

They said FCA didn't have a presence in China that they wanted, and that was next on the to do list.

Fiat Chrysler
The death of Sergio Marchionne leaves a big gap at FCA
https://www.economist.com/news/business-and-finance/21746886-will-mike-manley-measure-up-his-predecessor-death-sergio-marchionne-leaves-big-gap
https://www.economist.com/sites/defa...728_wbp006.jpg

It is different if you go kill yourself over some crap job or if you feel you move mountains. That was a big shot superstar CEO, it really is a bit different to work hard for that than pushing paper in an accounting firm in Japan ...

Also, regarding earlier comments, yes, if you are a division head in a global company, I would expect you to answer my call on Saturday. If you are a cog in the machine further down, then no.

Aside from the smoking habit, this lifestyle doesn't have to kill you. There are plenty people out there getting to 80+ on barely any sleep and constant "on" state.

G

My point is simple: it's just a fuchking job.

It should be a job, for him it was his entire life.

I agree. Sad.

A workaholic is an addict, no different than any other addict imo. His corporation is a "mom & pop" operation compared to some much larger outfits....yet other CEOs seem to get by just fine with much more "normal" behavior. Sounded like a tyrant to me...