The person behind the Diesel engine is Renzo Rosso. He was born in 1955 in the Italian northeast, he attended a fashion school, he graduated in 1975, and begun right away to design his own suits. In 1978, he joined other entrepreneurs to form the Genius Group that created well-known brands like Katherine Hamnett, Goldie, Martin Guy, Ten Big Boys and, sure, Diesel. In the 1985 Renzo became the sole owner of Diesel. In 1996, Renzo Rosso and Diesel Renzo were awarded the "Premio Risultati" by the prestigious Università Bocconi of Milan as the "Best Italian Company of the Year". Renzo was also named "Entrepreneur of the year" in 1997 by Ernst & Young America for Diesel success in the United States. Renzo is a passionate man and an idealist, whose motto is "Diesel is not my company, it is my life".