14. Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo
Fiat Auto chairman
Building on Fiat's and Ferrari's strengths
2008 Rank: 31
What he's done: While Fiat has suffered a miserable year, too, it's much stronger than when it nearly merged with GM, thanks to cars like the 500. Fiat is further shoring up its business and engineering reputation by sharing the 500's platform with Ford's new Ka.
How will his Ferrari survive the recession? Very well. It is perhaps the strongest luxury brand in the world, with a Disneyesque theme park being built in Abu Dhabi.
Problems: Western Europe has sunk into recession; with T-shirts and other tsotchkes, Ferrari could become too common, like Tiffany.
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