Audi boss falls 10,000ft to his death in tragic mountain climbing accident

One of Audi’s top bosses has fallen over 10,000ft to his death after a mountain climbing accident near the Italian-Swiss border, according to reports.

Fabrizio Longo, 62, the head of Audi’s Italian operations, was described as an expert mountaineer who was attempting to climb the Cima Payer in northern Italy’s Adamello mountains on Sunday when he lost his footing near the summit and fell to his death.

His fall was spotted by a nearby hiker and rescue teams scrambled to the scene of the accident, where he was found 700 feet inside a gorge and pronounced dead at the scene.

A helicopter team retrieved Mr Longo’s body and transferred him to a hospital in the nearby town of Carisolo. An investigation has been launched into his death, with a date for his funeral to be announced once his body is released to his family.

Mr Longo was born in the town of Rimini in 1962 and has a degree in political science. His career in the automotive industry began at Fiat in 1987, where he worked in marketing before taking charge of the Lancia brand in 2002.

He joined Audi in 2012, and became director of the company’s Italian operations a year later.

The car boss was a frequent visitor to the Adamello mountains, and was staunchly in favour of protecting the region from environmental changes.

He said recently: ‘Today, everyone talks about sustainability, but I prefer the word “awareness.” Behind awareness, there is a much broader value because it presupposes a deep understanding of the context. And it implies choices by companies that translate into realistic solutions.’

Under his leadership, Audi’s Italian operations also developed close ties and sponsorships with various winter sports. 

The president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (Fisi), Flavio Roda, said in a tribute: ‘A terrible loss for the federation that has collaborated fruitfully with Longo for years. We join the family in this moment of great pain, and with the staff of Audi Italia’

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