Ferrari has announced that its chief marketing and commercial officer, Enrico Galliera, is stepping down after 16 years with the company, just weeks after the controversial unveiling of Ferrari’s first all-electric vehicle, the Ferrari Luce.
Key developments
- Galliera will leave his position and be succeeded in July by Massimiliano Di Silvestre, the former head of BMW Italy.
- Ferrari stated that Galliera’s departure was a personal decision that had been agreed with the company some time ago and did not link it to the Luce’s launch.
- CEO Benedetto Vigna praised Galliera for his contribution to Ferrari’s global growth and brand strength.
Backlash over the Luce
The launch of the approximately $640,000 (£485,552) Luce in May generated significant online criticism:
- The vehicle’s styling became the subject of numerous internet memes.
- Matteo Salvini publicly criticized its design.
- Ferrari’s shares fell by about 8% the day after the unveiling.
Galliera’s legacy
During his tenure, Galliera oversaw several landmark moments for Ferrari, including:
- The 2013 launch of the LaFerrari, the company’s first production hybrid hypercar.
- Ferrari’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 2015 and subsequent listing in Milan in 2016.
- Management of Ferrari’s highly exclusive customer allocation process for its limited-production vehicles.
While the timing of Galliera’s departure follows closely after the Luce’s difficult debut, Ferrari has not indicated that the two events are connected.
