ROME, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cesare Romiti, the Italian executive best known for helping steer Italian carmaker Fiat through the challenging period between the 1970s and 1990s, died in Milan on Tuesday at the age of 97.
Romiti was known as "Il Duro" (Italian for "The Tough Guy") for his hard-nosed management style. In a long career, he headed Italy's flagship airline Alitalia, state infrastructure developer Italstat, newspaper publishing giant RCS Quotidiani, and in 2003 he launched the Italy China Foundation, an organization created to promote Italian business interests in China.