Ferrari’s bold leap into full electrification has come at a cost, and not just a financial one. Enrico Galliera, who served as the brand’s Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer for 16 years, has been dismissed in what appears to be the first high-profile fallout from the troubled launch of the Luce, Ferrari’s first all-electric production car.
Massimiliano Di Silvestre, previously the head of BMW Italy, has been confirmed as Galliera’s replacement.
A Launch That Divided the Faithful
The Ferrari Luce arrived with enormous fanfare but has been met with widespread scepticism, not only from the enthusiast community but from within Ferrari’s own loyal customer base. Critics argue that a silent, five-door electric GT represents a fundamental departure from everything the Prancing Horse has stood for across eight decades.
The timing hasn’t helped either. Performance EV sales have softened considerably across key global markets, leaving Ferrari exposed at precisely the wrong moment. The signals were there, but the company was already too deep into the programme to turn back. Investors took note almost immediately, with Ferrari’s share price shedding 8% in a single session following the reveal.
Is the CMO Exit Linked to the Luce?
Ferrari has not publicly connected Galliera’s departure to the reception surrounding the Luce, and it would be unusual for any company to do so. But 16 years with the brand, and an exit that lands squarely in the middle of one of Ferrari’s most controversial product launches in living memory, makes the timing impossible to overlook.
Ironically, Galliera had been vocal in defending the Luce in the weeks leading up to his exit. He firmly denied reports that Ferrari was pressuring clients into purchasing the EV as a condition for accessing future Special Series allocations, describing those allegations as entirely without merit.
Whether his departure was the result of strategic differences over the Luce’s positioning, or simply a broader reset in Ferrari’s commercial leadership, remains officially unconfirmed.