The death of Sergio Marchionne forced the hand of the controlling family of Fiat Chrysler in naming a replacement for Marchionne, who had announced his plans to retire as CEO of Fiat Chrysler next spring.
Luca Ciferri, editor of Automotive News Europe, says the board members had to move sooner than they had planned.
Marchionne died of what the company calls complications in connection with surgery on his shoulder, which reportedly was connected to a form of cancer. Mike Manley, who headed Jeep and Ram Truck, has been named CEO to replace Marchionne.