Currently reading: Ferrari tech boss Michael Leiters leaves in management shuffle

Manufacturing boss Vincenzo Regazzoni and brand diversification officer Nicola Boari also depart

A shake-up of Ferrari's senior management team sees three long-standing executives leave to take up posts elsewhere, including chief technology officer Michael Leiters. 

In a statement, Ferrari said it is implementing "a new organisational structure, consistent with its strategic goals of exclusivity, excellence and sustainability".

Alongside Leiters, who joined Ferrari in 2014, chief brand diversification officer Nicola Boari and chief manufacturing officer Vincenzo Regazzoni will also depart. 

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Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said: "My heartfelt thanks go to Michael, Nicola and Vincenzo for their valuable contributions over the years to the leadership and growth of Ferrari. Thanks also to their efforts we are ready to seize the many, new opportunities in front of us as we build the next era of our extraordinary company."

Ferrari said the trio's replacements will come from both inside and outside the company. They have been 'identified', and will join the firm in January. 

Leiters and Regazzoni have yet to comment publicly, but Boari posted on his personal LinkedIn account in the wake of the announcement: "It has been an honor serving Ferrari, a second family for me, for almost 12 years."

He cited the launch of Ferrari's Icona model series, the roll-out of Apple CarPlay and the Tailor Made personalisation programme among his most significant achievements, and said he "will always remain a true Ferrarista in my heart". 

Leiters, who has spoken to Autocar several times in his position as chief technology officer, has overseen the development of several important models over the past seven years, including the 986bhp SF90 Stradale, V6-powered 296 GTB and F8 Tributo.  

Ferrari sf90 stradale assetto fiorano 0 0

He joined Ferrari from Porsche, where he served in various roles, including SUV line director – a position in which he was responsible for the crucial Cayenne. It is anticipated that the first all-new Ferrari model to launch following Leiters's departure will be the Cayenne-rivalling Purosangue SUV.

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Last year, Leiters spoke to Autocar on the subject of the Purosangue, outlining his priorities for Maranello's first SUV: "I think we’ve found a concept and a package which is on one side a real SUV and will convince SUV customers to buy it, but on the other side there’s a huge differentiation of concept to existing SUVs."

He said the primary challenge was "to open a new segment for Ferrari", and that there were a number of "new engineering challenges" involved in the project. 

More recently, Leiters told Autocar that the brand's venerable V12 engine could survive in the form of limited-run creations like the SP3 Daytona: "It’s a good opportunity, it’s matching 100% our customers’ requirements and it has a limited impact on the discussion of CO2."

He added that he believes "we have to fight for this engine" on the grounds that it has more emotional appeal than a turbocharged V8. 

Details of Ferrari's new hires are expected to be confirmed in the new year.

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Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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manicm 21 December 2021
Ferrari has never been one to shuffle for the sake of it, unlike other companies, and has always valued continuity especially if results are forthcoming.

Frankly I smell trouble or a power play, very untypical of the marque.