Last year, rumors began to circulate that Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann was planning to jump ship. His destination was rumored to be Audi Quattro GmbH. These rumors have now been confirmed with Winkelmann appointed CEO of Quattro GmbH. Current CEO Heinz Hollerweger is set to retire after almost 40 years of working for the company.
We're not sure why anyone would want to leave Lamborghini, however Winkelmann is expected to be a "key contributor to the further growth of quattro GmbH" according to Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi. Quattro GmbH includes all of Audi's R and RS models, which Audi hopes to position more clearly. Winkelmann helped Lamborghini reach new sales records in 2015 and should be the perfect person to improve Audi's lineup of sport models. This seems like a great move for Audi. If you want to spice up your lineup, who better to hire than the man who actually made Lamborghini even more awesome?
Lamborghini has been quick to announce Winkelmann's successor. Former Ferrari Formula One boss, Stefano Demonicali has been appointed as Lamborghini's new president and CEO and will take up the new post on March 15. "I am very excited to be taking on the challenges of this great legacy," Domenicali said. "It is now my duty to continue the successes that my predecessor Stephan Winkelmann achieved for Automobili Lamborghini." After leading Ferrari's F1 team from 2008 to 2014, he moved to Audi as vice president of new business initiatives.