Stephan Winkelmann takes on a double role as President of Bugatti and Automobili Lamborghini
- Winkelmann is the new President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini
- He succeeds Stefano Domenicali, who moves to Formula 1
- Audi CEO Markus Duesmann: “Winkelmann is exactly the right person to lead this unique brand to a successful future”
On 1 December Stephan Winkelmann will become President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. Already president of Bugatti, he will retain his present function and in future guide the course of both luxury brands. At Lamborghini he will be the successor of Stefano Domenicali, who takes on a new challenge from 2021 onwards: he will move to Formula 1 and become head of racing.
“Stephan Winkelmann has decisively shaped the history of Lamborghini,” says Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “No one else stands more clearly for the Lamborghini brand, and he is exactly the right person to lead this unique brand into a successful future.”
The German-Italian manager Stephan Winkelmann was President and CEO of Lamborghini from 2005 to 2016, charting the course for the rise of the brand and making it one of the world’s leading makers of super sports cars.
In March 2016 Stefano Domenicali took over from Winkelmann at the head of the sports car maker. Under his leadership the company has been able to continue its growth and double its global sales volume since 2016. Stefano Domenicali says: “I would like to thank all employees for their hard work and their passion for Lamborghini. I am proud of this excellent team and grateful to have been part of it for four years.” Thanks to the Urus super SUV, among other models, last year Lamborghini set a further record, with 8,205 units delivered to customers.
“In the name of the whole management board of AUDI AG, I would like to thank Stefano Domenicali for his superb achievements and his dedication to Lamborghini. In the past four years he has shaped the transformation of the brand and pushed it ahead,” says Markus Duesmann. “We wish him every success in his new role as CEO of Formula 1.”
Stephan Winkelmann was born in Berlin in 1964 and grew up in Rome. After graduating from the German School in Rome, he studied political science there and in Munich. Before Winkelmann took over management of Lamborghini in 2005, he worked in various positions at Fiat, including as CEO of Fiat Auto in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. In March 2016 Winkelmann moved from Lamborghini to quattro GmbH (now Audi Sport GmbH), taking the role of Managing Director for two years. Since 1 January 2018 Winkelmann has been President of Bugatti, a position that he will continue to occupy from 1 December in the above-mentioned dual function.
