It’s one of the most famous and prestigious motorcycle brands in the world. Ducati—the name alone conjures images of sleek, powerful bikes and celebrity fans. An Italian brand from the very beginning, the company was founded by Antonio Ducati and his three sons in 1926, but initially manufactured vacuum tubes and radio components, not motorbikes. It wasn’t until 1944 that the company produced the ‘Cucciolo’, a small motor that could be attached to a bicycle to power it. This changed everything and heralded the launch of Ducati Motorcycles.
In 1950 the Ducati family sold the company and over the following decades it was taken on by a number of different groups. In 2012, Lamborghini, a subsidiary of German automotive giant Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, bought Ducati, an impressive addition to its world-class portfolio. A year later, in 2013, Claudio Domenicali was named the new CEO of Ducati, having been promoted from his previous role as General Manager of the company.
Claudio is passionate about Ducati, having worked at the company for almost 25 years. He was the perfect choice, experienced not only in the management side of the Ducati business, but also the design and technical disciplines. His first role in the company was as a project leader, having studied mechanical engineering at university.
“It was a very exciting opportunity, because Ducati was going through a very interesting time when I took over as CEO,” Claudio says. “We had gone through a strong product development exercise and so we were looking to the future. We were also expanding our presence worldwide more than ever. In the last two years, we have opened new branches in Brazil and India to boost our presence worldwide. Now we are selling into Europe, the US, Japan, Australia, Asia, Brazil and India, so it’s a very good time for us.”