italiaspeed.com

Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, has been awarded the prestigious decoration of Grand Officer in the Order of Merit of The Italian Republic.

This major award was conferred during a ceremony at Palazzo Chigi, which was presided over by Gianni Letta, the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Accompanying the award was the following statement signed by Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italy, and countersigned by Silvio Berlusconi, the President of the Council of Ministers: "The President of the Republic - the Chief of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic - in consideration of special merits, upon proposal of the President of the Council of Ministers, and upon deliberation by the Council of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, with a decree dated 27 December 2009 has conferred the decoration of Grand Officer on Stephan Winkelmann, with the right to wear the relative insignia."

The award is said to be a tribute to Mr. Winkelmann’s commitment to relaunching the Italian marque. Since his appointment in January 2005, Winkelmann has implemented a business strategy based on three major principles. Its goal is to turn Lamborghini into a more appealing manufacturer that produces some of the most coveted super sports cars in the world, although his strategy is still open to question as Lamborghini has been one of the biggest volume losers from the recent global financial crisis while its close rival Ferrari has sailed through the devastating effects of the downturn completely untouched.

The first principle initiated by Winkelmann involves the product line, which is divided into two models - the Gallardo and the now discontinued Murciélago - along with their offshoots. This product strategy also includes a commitment to introducing at least one new product every year. The substantial investments in Research and Development promoted by Mr. Winkelmann represent a significant portion of the Company’s total turnover and have been the driving force behind Lamborghini’s rise to the top in such fields as light engineering and the development of advanced carbon fiber technology. The second principle is a considerable expansion of the sales network to maximize market penetration. Thanks to this policy, the number of Lamborghini dealers worldwide has doubled in only a few years (from 65 at the end of 2004 to 127 at the end of 2010). The third strategic principle is brand extension, which is viewed by Mr. Winkelmann as an opportunity to further develop the value of the marque and strengthen its market recognition.

Numerous products and services have been developed to effect brand extension. These include a line of clothing and accessories (the Automobili Lamborghini Collection), a monomarque motorsport championship (the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo), the operations of the Lamborghini museum and factory, Lamborghini driving experiences, and the consulting services provided by Lamborghini Consulting. “It is with great satisfaction that I receive this prestigious decoration," says Winkelmann, "which I would like to share with everyone at Lamborghini, whose devotion and hard work have helped turn this company into a model of Italian and international excellence in the super sports car sector”.

Winkelmann was born in Berlin on the 18 October 1964 and grew up in Rome, Italy. He studied Political Science in Rome, took his degree in Munich, and spent two years in the paratroopers in Germany taking leave as lieutenant. In 1991 he started his professional career at a German financial institution. In the following years he focused his interests on the automotive industry, working first for Mercedes-Benz and then for Fiat Auto from 1994 to 2004 in marketing and sales, both in Italy and abroad. He was then appointed as CEO of Fiat Auto Austria, Switzerland and lastly Fiat Auto Germany. On 1 January 2005, Stephan Winkelmann was appointed President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.