Ferrari's Chief Marketing Officer Steps Down Amid Criticism of First EV

Ferrari has announced that Enrico Galliera, its chief marketing and commercial officer of more than 16 years, will step down, handing one of the most sensitive jobs in the luxury car world to an outsider.

His successor, Massimiliano Di Silvestre, the former head of BMW's Italian business, takes over on 1 July and will report directly to CEO Benedetto Vigna.

Galliera's exit comes barely a month after Ferrari pulled the covers off the Luce, its first fully electric model, which received a reception few at the company were happy about.

The car, whose edgeless styling was developed with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, broke sharply from Ferrari's traditional look and drew swift ridicule from enthusiasts and investors alike.

The backlash was unusually public for a brand accustomed to adoration.

Ferrari's shares fell more than 8% in a single session after the reveal, a sharp market verdict on one of the industry's most valuable names.

Critics lined up to attack the design, among them the company's own former chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who warned that the brand was risking the destruction of a legend and went so far as to suggest the famous badge be removed from the car.

Italy's deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, joined in, questioning the four-door model's price, which starts at €550,000.

However, Ferrari has firmly rejected any link between the criticism and Galliera's departure.

According to the company, he had decided to move on some time ago and agreed to remain in place through the Luce launch before pursuing what it described as a new chapter in his career.

Vigna praised his contribution and framed the change as part of the brand's evolution rather than a reaction to it.

An outsider for an uncertain road

Whatever the motivation, the choice of replacement is telling.

Di Silvestre brings more than two decades of experience in the premium car market, having steered BMW Italy since 2019, and represents a rare move by Ferrari to recruit its commercial chief from a rival rather than promote from within.

He inherits the task of selling an electric Ferrari to a clientele that pays a heavy premium for exclusivity, at a moment when demand for high-performance EVs has cooled.

Ferrari maintains that interest in the Luce remains strong, though investors will not get a clearer picture until the company reports its second-quarter results on 30 July.