Inside Ferrari's Leadership Change After EV Row

Ferrari has picked a new head for its commercial division at a moment when Maranello could have done without more unwanted noice. Massimiliano di Silvestre will take over as chief marketing and commercial officer from 1 July 2026, joining the leadership team and answering directly to chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna. The official word is that this has been in the works for a while, but the timing seems as though it is related to the company’s first electric car and the backlash it has created from all quarters.

Enrico Galliera is the man Di Silvestre replaces, after more than sixteen years in the role. Ferrari says Galliera’s exit was something he had already discussed with the company some time ago, and Vigna has been public in his praise, crediting him with an extraordinary contribution across a long spell in which Ferrari grew its business and tightened the grip of the prancing horse as a global luxury badge. That is the language of a clean handover, but the timing still tells its own story.

I would like to thank Enrico for the extraordinary contribution he has made to Ferrari throughout his long career. With passion and expertise, he has played a significant role in the company’s growth and in strengthening the Ferrari brand worldwide. He has the gratitude of the entire Ferrari team and my personal best wishes for the future
– Benedetto Vigna, Ferrari CEO

Ferrari changes the commercial guard

Di Silvestre is not arriving as a rookie parachuted in for a single crisis. He brings more than 20 years in premium and luxury automotive roles. Vigna said he was pleased to bring him in, adding that Di Silvestre’s international background and leadership style will be a useful asset as Ferrari moves into its next phase of growth.

“I am pleased to welcome Massimiliano to Ferrari. His international experience and leadership will be an important asset as we guide the company into its next phase of growth,” said Vigna.

Ferrari is not just filling a vacancy. It is replacing a commercial steward whose career was built on scarcity, desirability and the old Ferrari formula, with a manager who has spent time in one of the few premium brands that has already wrestled seriously with electrification. Di Silvestre previously ran BMW Group Italy as president and chief executive. In plain terms, he knows how to manage a large brand when the product mix changes.

The Luce backlash

Ferrari’s Luce, its first-ever EV, has been met with criticism loud enough to travel far beyond the usual petrolhead echo chamber. Jibes have come from all directions including other automakers and even world famous chocolate brand Toblerone. Among the insults doing the rounds are ‘iPhone on wheels’ and ‘Ferrari Multipla’, the latter a direct nod to the first-generation Fiat Multipla, long treated as one of the ugliest mass-produced cars ever sold. The former a stab at Sir Jony Ive whose LoveFrom design consultancy was reportedly largely responsible for the Luce’s overall appearance.

Even former Ferrari CEO, Luca di Montezemolo, slammed the new model. He was recorded as saying: “If I had to say what I really think, I would be hurting Ferrari. We’re risking the destruction of a legend. I’m very sorry,” he said, suggesting that the brand’s badge should be removed from the car.

Italy’s deputy prime minister and transport minister, Matteo Salvini, also took to social to express his frustration regarding Ferrari’s first EV. “Is this supposed to be ‘innovation?’ Who knows what Enzo Ferrari would say…,” he wrote.

There is a simple commercial reality underneath the jokes. Ferrari can no longer rely on the soundtrack of a V8 or V12 to attract a new era buyer. The company has to sell a different story now, one built around electric performance without losing the emotional charge (sorry, pun intended) that keeps people buying into the hallowed badge. Putting a marketing and commercial specialist with heavy premium-brand experience into the seat at this point looks less like routine succession and more like a response to a market that has already made its objections loud and clear.

Galliera’s Legacy

Galliera’s record sets a high bar. Over his sixteen years, he helped Ferrari grow volumes while keeping the brand’s exclusivity intact. He was part of the team that kept the waiting lists long, the allocations tight and the halo models highly desirable. The Special Projects cars, the XX program and the Icona line all flourished from the commercial discipline that defined his era. Ferrari sold more cars, but it did not cheapen the experience.

Di Silvestre inherits a company entering a more complicated phase. Ferrari has to protect the old-money mystique that Galliera helped sharpen, while building a believable case for electric cars that can stand beside the combustion legends. His background at BMW Group Italy suggests he understands how to sell premium cars through transition. Ferrari has made its move. The question now is whether Di Silvestre can steady the ship before the next electric reveal gives the internet another target.