Fincantieri Marine Group Announces CEO Succession

Fincantieri Marine Group, the U.S. subsidiary of Italian based shipbuilding enterprise Fincantieri, announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Francesco Valente, will step down from the position to assume another leadership role within the Fincantieri group.

As a result, the Board has selected Dario Deste to assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. Valente and Deste are working together to ensure an orderly transition, which is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Valente joined Fincantieri in early 2012 as Senior Vice President for Business Development‐Naval, before being appointed as President and CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group the following May.

Deste, A former Navy officer, has nearly 30 years of industry experience, including 11 years with Fincantieri. Since 2014 Dario has been CEO of Fincantieri Marine Systems North America, a company providing maintenance and repair support services on several U.S. Navy programs.

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated, “I would like to thank Francesco for building up our presence in the United States and preparing us for an even greater future. We wish him the best in his new position. At the same time, we are excited to welcome Dario in his new role, where he will be able to put his considerable knowledge of the international shipbuilding markets at the service of the growth of Fincantieri in the United States, one of our domestic markets.”