Following the sudden departure of Ducati chief executive Gabriele Del Torchio to Alitalia, Claudio Domenicali — currently Ducati general manager and a member of its board of directors — has been named as Del Torchio’s successor by Rupert Stadler, chairman of both Ducati parent Audi and Ducati.
New Ducati chief executive Claudio Domenicali joined the company 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 for operations and product development. In 2012, he was confirmed as a member of the newly formed board of directors after the sale of Ducati to Volkswagen Group’s Audi subsidiary.
“Domenicali knows Ducati and the motorcycle business more than anyone, comented Audi supremo Stadler. “He embodies continuity and Ducati’s values in an exceptional manner.”