Confirming what we already thought to be true, Gabriele del Torchio has left his position at Ducati to takeover as CEO of Alitalia. Replacing him will be current Ducati General Manager and Board Member Claudio Domenicali.
With 21 years of experience at Ducati Motor Holding, including time in both Ducati’s product and racing departments, Domenicali is perhaps the most logical successor for the departing Del Torchio, as he intimately understand’s the company’s product line as well as its racing heritage.
Following Del Torchio will be no easy task though, as the former-CEO has helped build Ducati into something that is more than just a superbike brand. Domenicali’s marching orders are surely to continue that growth into new two-wheeled sectors, as well as to take Ducati from a boutique European brand into a true global player in the premium motorcycle market — you have been warned BMW and KTM. Ducati’s press release on the transition is after the jump.
Bologna/Ingolstadt, April 18, 2013 – Claudio Domenicali, currently General Manager and Member of the Board of Directors at Ducati Motor Holding, has been named as the successor to CEO Gabriele Del Torchio, who will leave the company to take up new professional challenges.
Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ducati Motor Holding, praised the successful work of Gabriele Del Torchio, who has spent six years at the top of the premium brand: “Del Torchio guided Ducati out of an economically difficult phase, back to a successful growth path and to the top of the worldwide segment of premium performance motorcycles. For that achievement, we express our gratitude on behalf of all Audi and Ducati employees and wish him all the best in his future tasks.”
“I look back on six intensive, exciting and successful years,” commented Gabriele Del Torchio in response to Rupert Stadler’s best wishes in his farewell speech to the company. “It was an intense experience which will remain an unforgettable memory. I leave Ducati in the knowledge that I have helped to place the company on a path of growth and strength.”
The new Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali, joined Ducati as a project leader in 1991. He had previously studied mechanical engineering at Università degli Studi di Bologna. After passing through various management positions, he was promoted to Managing Director of Ducati Corse in 1999. In 2005, he took over as R&D Director and in 2009 was appointed General Manager Operations and Product Development. In 2012, he was confirmed as a member of the newly formed Board of Directors after the sale of Ducati Motor Holding to AUDI AG.
“Domenicali knows Ducati and the motorcycle business more than anyone. He embodies continuity and Ducati’s values in an exceptional manner,” stated Audi CEO Stadler.
Source: Ducati
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