CARS - Affiliates News
Chairman of Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo, Visits CARS and GSB
The Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo visited Stanford University on April 24, 2012. In the morning he met with CARS Directors Chris Gerdes and Sven Beiker at the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL) to get an overview on the different automotive and mobility related research topics at Stanford. The Chairman showed particular interest in vehicle automation and electric mobility. While both might not be prime product foci for Ferrari as a sport scar manufacturer, the general trends and specific technologies are important to observe for a technology centric automobile company. In the discussion with Gerdes and Beiker, Montezemolo also emphasized the importance of vehicle automation for highly accurate and reproducible testing, which has been of prime importance for the company for a long time. He also highlighted Ferrari's recent product launch of an electrified powertrain with KERS, the company's Kinetic Energy Recovery System.
In the following conversation at VAIL, that was also joined by Reilly Brennan, Executive Director of the Revs Program, and Ben Stabler, Student at the Stanford Solar Car Project, it was also discussed how talented students can get introduced to automotive topics and prepare them for a career in the industry, especially in a place like Silicon Valley where the IT industry seems to be the primary choice for graduates.
After the visit to VAIL, the Ferrari Chairman proceeded to the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) to deliver a speech as part of the school's "View from the Top" speaker series on leadership. In a packed auditorium with students, faculty, and enthusiasts, he shared insights in leadership style and what it takes to lead an international sports car brand. His main message was that 1. Passion, 2. Vision, and 3. Being Demanding are essential to create exceptional products such as Ferrari automobiles. He discussed how racing and product development are closely connected in the company and lead to the automobiles that are aspired by many. True to this thinking, he ended his talk stating, "I'm not here to sell, but I'm here to help you dream."
After the public talk at the GSB, Montezemolo met with faculty and students of the Business School, while CARS hosted a lunch for its students and affiliates to extend the conversation.
The Stanford Daily covered the visit of Luca Cordero di Montezemolo in an article that can be read here.
For further information, please contact Sven Beiker (beiker@stanford.edu).
May 4, 2012 - 7:30PM