Sixty-two year old Fabrizio Longo suffered a fatal accident as he was climbing Cima Payer in the Adamello mountains near the Italian-Swiss border. Longo, the head of Audi’s Italy-based operations and avid mountain climber, was close to the summit at about 10,000 feet when another climber witnessed the incident and alerted rescue teams. Rescuers responded immediately but found his body 700 feet below in a gorge, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. The body was transported to a hospital for further examination. An investigation will be conducted as Mr. Longo was well-equipped with numerous safety aids and highly experienced.
Originally from Rimini, Longo began his career at Fiat and eventually made his way to run Lancia in 2002. He joined Audi in 2012, becoming the Director of Operations in 2013, guiding Audi to extreme success with his leadership. An Audi spokesperson stated, “”His strong values and genuine care for each one created a workplace filled with warmth and respect. His infectious enthusiasm and positive energy touched and inspired Audi Italia and its stakeholders daily.”
Fabrizio Longo was a huge environmental conservation advocate and worked closely with several organizations to protect the mountains he loved from the impacts of climate change. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation declared, “We join the family in this moment of great pain, and with the staff of Audi Italia…’ calling Longo’s death ‘a terrible loss for the federation that has collaborated fruitfully with Longo for years.”
