Ferrari announced the departure of Enrico Galliera as marketing and commercial director, a position he had held for 16 years, just weeks after the negative reaction to the launch of the Luce, the Italian manufacturer’s first fully electric car. The company reported that the executive will be replaced in July by Massimiliano Di Silvestre, former head of BMW Italy.
In a statement, the automaker thanked Galliera for his career at the company and stated that the decision to leave the position had been taken together “some time ago”, as part of a new professional chapter for the executive. Ferrari did not officially link the departure to the reception of the new electric model.
The Luce, presented in May, was the target of criticism on social media and generated a wave of memes because of the brand’s design and positioning in the electric vehicle segment. The model, launched with a price of around US$640,000, also received negative comments from public figures in Italy, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini.
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The market’s reaction was also immediate: Ferrari shares fell significantly the day after the vehicle’s presentation. The launch marked an important change for the manufacturer, historically associated with combustion-powered super sports cars and the exclusivity of its models.
Galliera held a strategic role within the company, including managing customer relationships and defining access to the brand’s most sought-after cars. According to CEO Benedetto Vigna, the executive played an important role in the growth of Ferrari and the global strengthening of the brand over the last decade.
