Santo Ficili: “I’ll bring Alfa Romeo and Maserati back to where they deserve to be”

Francesco Armenio
Santo Ficili, new CEO of Maserati and Alfa Romeo, discusses his vision about the brands future at the 2024 Paris Motor Show.
Imparato Ficili Alfa Romeo

As announced in recent days, Santo Ficili has been appointed as the new CEO of Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands. At the Paris Motor Show, the manager gave an interview discussing his new role. While not yet able to reveal too much, Ficili shared some indications about his objectives: “The mission Tavares has entrusted me with is to bring the two brands to where they deserve to be.”

The words of Alfa Romeo and Maserati’s number one, Santo Ficili, at the 2024 Paris Motor Show

Santo Ficili

Speaking to Quattroruote, Santo Ficili stated: “I am extremely excited and honored to take on this position, given that I’m a ‘Fiat child’ and have been working in the company for 40 years. The mission Carlos Tavares has entrusted me with is to elevate the two brands to the level they deserve. Jean-Philippe Imparato has done an excellent job with Alfa Romeo, and my task is to continue the path he has laid out, with the launch of the new Stelvio, Giulia, and Tonale, one per year.”

Ficili continued: “As for Maserati, there’s much to be done to bring the brand back to the luxury segment where it belongs. It’s also crucial to rebuild the emotional connection with the fantastic team we have in Modena and Turin. It’s important to note that this isn’t about directly merging the two brands, as they have different identities: Maserati represents luxury, while Alfa is oriented towards premium sports, so they shouldn’t be mixed. However, it’s always useful to look for synergies.”

“For example, the Maserati Grecale was developed on the same Giorgio platform as the Stelvio, appropriately modified to support thermal, hybrid, and electric powertrains. This is a practice already underway, as we produce both models at the Cassino plant. If there are opportunities for synergy, they will be welcome. Moreover, with the STLA Large platform currently in use in the Stellantis group, there are possibilities for future development,” concluded the new CEO of Alfa Romeo and Maserati.