Event: Creative Engines: A Conversation with Sergio Marchionne & John C Jay

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Creative Engines: A Conversation with Sergio Marchionne & John C Jay
Monday, October 8, 2012, 7pm

Mershon Auditorium
Wexner Center for the Arts
The Ohio State University

Tickets: $20 general public, $15 Wexner Center members & seniors, free for students (students need to register for the free ticket and bring it with them to the event, along with their BuckID)

The Wexner Center for the Arts is The Ohio State University’s multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. At its core, the center exists to inspire cultural curiosity and fuel the creative expression of our time through exhibitions, film and video screenings, performances, artist residencies and commissions, and educational programming.

On October 8, the Wexner Center will host this special evening focusing on innovation and creativity: Creative Engines will feature Sergio Marchionne, chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC and CEO of Fiat S.p.A., and John C Jay, global creative director for advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, together in conversation for the first time.

Marchionne is the current toast of the automotive industry, credited with turning Chrysler Group and Fiat around. In 2012, Columbus native and Ohio State alumnus Jay and his agency created the “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl ad campaign for Chrysler that made a worldwide splash.

Together, they will discuss topics to include the powerful impact of innovative design and bold creative practice on successful businesses and reconceiving/reshaping a brand. A Q&A session with the audience will follow their conversation.

This event is presented in conjunction with the 200Columbus bicentennial celebrations, honoring the creative spirit of Columbus. It is also the final event in the eight-day idUS international design festival, to be held in Columbus in October.

 

More about 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. Just over two years later,
following its emergence from Chapter 11, Chrysler Group returned to profitability; in May 2012, sales were up 30 percent from the previous year. 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 April 2012 Europe. He 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. He is the current president of the board of directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) and 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. Born in Italy, Marchionne 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.

 

More about John C Jay

Columbus native and Ohio State alumnus John C Jay has worked across disciplines and in a diverse mix of industries, including editorial design, fashion and retail  marketing, advertising, and interiors. Currently. he serves as global creative director for integrated advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, headquartered in Portland with offices worldwide. The agency has created innovative campaigns for companies including Nike, Coca-Cola, P&G, Levi’s, and ESPN. Its striking “Imported from Detroit” ad
campaign for Chrysler, featuring rap star and Detroit native Eminem, hit the airwaves during the Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

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 museums and galleries around the world.

Jay is also the co-founder and director of Studio J, a creative consultancy designing and investing in new products, retail, digital concepts, and real estate development. Studio J will also design and co-own The Grove, a forthcoming 70-room “art hostel” and retail concept for young creatives.

At Ohio State, Jay created The Jay Scholarship to encourage students of Asian descent to pursue careers in the arts.

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Categories: IndustryOutreach