Mike Manley, current CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, may be Louis Camilleri’s successor at Ferrari, says Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. Next week, Ferrari’s Board of Directors is expected to definitively choose a new leader. The choice for Manley seems quite logical, but there are more potential candidates.
Last Thursday, Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri announced that he will step down from his position immediately after 2.5 years. He says he does this because of personal circumstances. John Elkann, from the Agnelli family, has taken over the position on an interim basis. Ferrari’s Board of Directors is expected to elect a new CEO this week. There is currently a lot of speculation about this. Mike Manley, the current CEO of FCA, is the most likely candidate, according to the aforementioned Italian newspaper. Thanks to the merger of FCA with PSA in Stellantis, his position will lapse, as the management of Stellantis will be in the hands of PSA CEO Carlos Tavares. Given that Manley has considerable experience in the car industry, it would be a logical move to let him move to Ferrari.
Manley is not the only candidate mentioned by the Italian media. Other names that pass in review are Davide Grasso (operational director at Maserati) and Stefano Domenicali, who previously held sway at Lamborghini and will now lead Formula 1. However, due to taking office as F1 CEO, Domenicali is not a likely candidate and Grasso appears to be a bigger contender. FCA and Ferrari wanted opposite Autonews do not respond to the speculation.
Difficult task
The person who eventually gets the reins at Ferrari does not expect an easy job. The brand is indeed profitable and set a delivery record last year, but the Cavallino Rampante needs to innovate even further for the future. Camilleri said earlier that he will “ never see Ferrari become fully electric ”, but more and more countries are closing their doors to new fuel cars within ten years. Furthermore, the new CEO must ensure that Ferrari becomes big again in motorsport. The team is currently struggling in Formula 1 and that is a thorn in the side of the Italians. Who will eventually pull this cart will probably become clear this week.