AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE RISING STARS

What was your first automotive job and why were you interested in the industry?
I’m a real car enthusiast and have loved cars since I was a young child. My mother and grandmother would give me copies of Quattroruote, an Italian car magazine, in recognition of my hard work and good marks in school. I can remember spending lots of time reading and looking at pictures of cars and engines. My first real job in automotive was as a program manager, which gave me an opportunity to understand and lead the business. I had a true 360-degree view of the company.

Your greatest achievement?
Professionally, it was the launch of production of an eDrive system in China for full-electric vehicles. Less than one year after we selected the site, my team and I set up a brand new assembly plant in China. This included establishing a solid local supply chain to produce a great product we developed in Europe. Serial production launched one month ahead of schedule and today several thousand eDrive gearboxes are produced annually. Personally, my greatest achievement is my beloved family.

What was your biggest failure and what did it teach you?
To me failures are simply bad experiences that offer huge learning opportunities. Early in my career, and admittedly sometimes still today, I would get a bit impatient and push too hard to get quick results. I have learned to calibrate the pressure I put on myself and others to ensure that we meet our goals without over doing things.

What is your current challenge at work?
The transition to electrification is moving fast. We are stepping into a new level of performance and growth. The challenge we face now is to make sure we are set up in the most effective way to deliver on our commitments.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
Never lose the passion for what you are doing and enjoy every moment of the day. I truly believe this makes the difference.

What advice would you give to a person considering a career in the auto industry?
The automotive industry, now more than ever, is extremely dynamic and exciting because so many revolutionary technical innovations are taking place at once. This rapid change requires high energy and agility to be successful. So, if you are passionate, curious, innovative and love constant challenges, then come and join the party.

What job do you really want to have in the future?
I’m really fortunate to work for a company that provides plenty of opportunities. Right now, my full focus is on my current role and responsibilities for driving our electrification business forward. In the future, I would like to lead a company where I could be responsible for leading the strategy, business plan and ultimately the success of the organization.

What do you do to relax?
I enjoy spending time with my family and keeping fit through regular workouts, swimming, and skiing. I also like to practice one of my favorite hobbies: flying airplanes.

What is your dream location to live?
For me, I would definitively like to live by the sea since I dearly love blue skies, sunshine, clear water and being able to enjoy the sport and leisure activities that such a location offers. The perfect fit would probably be one of the very nice villages along the Ligurian Riviera in Italy, as long as it was not too far away from a city with an airport. A perfect location would be Finale Ligure.

What is your favorite driving song?
It’s “Don't You [Forget About Me]” by the Simple Minds.

What was your favorite road trip and why?
One of the best for me is the Via Aurelia, which runs along the Italian coastline from Liguria to Savona heading west up to the French border. It’s fun to drive near the cliffs on this very curvy road.

What was your first car?
A Fiat Croma Turbo.

Current car?
A Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe.

If you were a car, which one would you be?
It’s difficult to identify myself as only one car since I’m a car enthusiast with many different tastes that often conflict with one another. If I had to pick one, I would go with a classic: The Ferrari F40. It’s been one of my favorites since I was 5 years old.