The Italian Sea Group (TISG) has announced the death of its vice-president, Giuseppe Taranto, due to an illness.
In a statement, the company expressed heartfelt condolences to Taranto's wife and two children. The statement confirmed he had fought an illness with "courage and dignity" for less than a year.
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of TISG, said he felt "deeply grieved" at the loss of Taranto, whom he had known for the past 30 years.
"None of us were prepared to face such a great heartache. Giuseppe, an elegant man, a trusted counsellor and a longtime friend, left us prematurely," Constantino said. "The best way to honour his memory is to remember and treasure every day those values of humanity, responsibility and dedication of which he was the most convinced supporter”.
Taranto joined Tecnomar, one of TISG's acquired brands, as general manager in 2009 before being appointed vice chairman on the board of directors in 2016. In its statement, TISG confirmed that the board would convene in the near future to determine its next steps.