Ferrari's marketing boss is leaving after a bruising electric-car backlash
A boardroom change at the worst possible moment for Maranello
Ferrari is changing the man who sells its cars. Enrico Galliera, the brand's chief marketing and commercial officer for more than 16 years, is stepping down, with former BMW Italy boss Massimiliano Di Silvestre taking over on 1 July. It comes at a delicate moment, just weeks after a rocky debut for the Luce, Ferrari's first electric car.
Who is in and who is out
Galliera has been one of the most important figures at Ferrari, shaping how the brand is sold and presented for over a decade and a half. His replacement is a notable choice: Massimiliano Di Silvestre, who ran BMW's Italian business, will report directly to CEO Benedetto Vigna. Hiring a commercial chief from a direct rival rather than promoting from within is a rare move for Ferrari, and a sign the company wants fresh thinking at a pivotal time.
The EV that rattled Maranello
The backdrop is the Luce, Ferrari's first fully electric car, unveiled in May 2026. Styled by LoveFrom, the studio founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, the four-door's smooth, edgeless look was a sharp departure from traditional Ferrari design, and the reaction was harsh, spawning a wave of internet memes. The share price fell more than 8 percent the day after the reveal. Former Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo warned the brand risked the "destruction of a legend" and even suggested removing the badge from the car, while Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini publicly questioned its price, which starts at 550,000 euros, around 640,000 dollars.
Ferrari says the timing is a coincidence
Officially, the two events are not linked. Ferrari says Galliera decided to leave some time ago and stayed on through the launch before pursuing what it calls a new chapter. That may well be true, executives plan exits long in advance, but the optics are unavoidable: a marketing boss departing right after the most divisive product launch in the company's modern history. Di Silvestre now inherits the hardest job in the building, convincing Ferrari's famously traditional clientele to embrace an electric future, just as overall EV demand cools. Ferrari insists interest in the Luce remains strong, though investors will get a clearer read when it reports second-quarter results on 30 July.
AutoNext Take
Whatever Ferrari says about timing, this is a company under real pressure over its electric gamble. When a former chairman talks about destroying a legend and a senior politician mocks your pricing, the problem is not just the car, it is the story around it, which is precisely the job of the person now leaving. Reaching outside for a BMW commercial chief suggests Ferrari knows it needs to sell electric differently. It is worth remembering, though, that Ferrari has also signalled it will protect its analogue soul: this is the same brand that recently patented a gated manual shifter. The electric era is coming to Maranello, but selling it to the faithful is going to take every bit of Di Silvestre's skill.
For more Ferrari context, see how the brand patented a manual-style gated shifter to protect its driving heritage, and how a one-of-one Ferrari Enzo broke an auction record. Porsche, meanwhile, has gone the other way and ruled out an electric 911.
