Governance

Born in Genoa on January 23, 1936.
He was awarded his school leaving certificate in 1961 from the D’oria classical high school and later graduated in industrial chemistry from the University of Genoa. In June 2005 he was awarded an honorary degree in Chemical Engineering by the University of Genoa.
Married to Anna Maria Campi, he has six children.

In 1963, after the premature death of his father Edoardo, who founded the company in 1938, he took the reins of the company and completed a new plan of highly strategic importance: the construction of the Arquata Scrivia depot with its system of oil pipelines. This new logistical installation allowed the San Quirico Refinery, which was already connected to Genoa’s Porto Petroli (Petroleum Port), to satisfy the growing demand for petroleum products in the north west of Italy, passing over the Appennines.

Over the years ERG has significantly developed their market, their commercial alliances and their own production structures. Together with the IFI and the Cameli Group, in 1971 the Group participated in the construction of the ISAB Refinery at Priolo Gargallo (Syracuse), one of the most important industrial installations in Sicily and in the Mediterranean, and production began in 1975.

From 1983 to 1986 Riccardo Garrone was Chairman of the Association of Industrialist of Genoa.

In 1984 ERG began its integration process by purchasing Elf Italiana’s distribution network.

In 1986 ERG took over 100% of Chevron Oil Italiana, purchasing 1,600 outlets – thus considerably reinforcing their own distribution network – as well as purchasing a significant share in the Sarpom Refinery at Trecate and in the Rome Refinery.

In 1986 Riccardo Garrone, together with other Italian petroleum, founded the AIPI (Italian Petroleum Industry Association) and became its Chairman.

When AIPI merged with the Unione Petrolifera (Petroleum Union), the representative of the private petroleum industry in the institutions, Riccardo Garrone was nominated Vice-Chairman.

In 1991 ERG contributed to the reconstruction and to the historical reopening of the Carlo Felice Opera House in Genoa; cultural patronage of such proportions has never been seen before in Italy (11.4 billion lire).

In 1993 Riccardo Garrone was nominated Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of Labour)

In October of 1997 ERG shares were included in the Telematic System of the Italian Shares Index. ERG’s share base was widened and, although the Garrone and Mondini families kept control, international institutionalised investors, as well as private investors, became shareholders of the parent company ERG S.p.A. .

From 1998 to 2000 Riccardo Garrone once more filled the position of Chairman of the Association of Industrialists of the Province of Genoa.

In April 2000 the innovative ISAB Energy plant (51% ERG, 49% Edison Mission Energy) was set up in Priolo, next to the ISAB Refinery, to create electricity (4 billion Kwh per year, the equivalent of about 2% of Italy’s requirements) from waste products of the petroleum refining process. ERG has, broadly speaking, gone from being a petroleum company to becoming also a producer of electricity.

Today the ERG Group represents 11% of Italy’s refining, 7% of its fuel distribution and about 2% of its electricity production.

Riccardo Garrone is also Chairman of the Banco di San Giorgio bank.

Since October 2002 he has been Chairman of the Sampdoria football club.

In October 2002 Riccardo Garrone was nominated Chairman of the MUS-e Italia Association.

April 29 2003 he left the chairmanship of ERG to his son Edoardo and took on the role of Director since 15 december 2009.

Since April 2004 he has been Chairman of Capital impresa.

Since January 2005 he has also taken on the position of Chairman of the Edoardo Garrone Foundation.

Since November 2008 he has been appointed Honorary Chairman of ERG S.p.A.

Hobbies: hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, skiing.