Stephan Winkelmann is an accomplished German manager, who was appointed the Bugatti Automobiles president in January 2018. He has also been the CEO and President of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A since December 2020.
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Stephan Winkelmann hails from Berlin, (then) German Democratic Republic, and was born under the Libra zodiac sign on 18 October 1964, which makes him 58 years old as of 2022. His father was an employee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), but he hasn’t revealed the names of his parents and siblings. He spent most of his childhood in Rome, and revealed during an interview that he grew up interested in motorcycles, and loved bike riding when he was a teenager.
Winkelmann attended a Rome-based high school, and later matriculated to an unnamed university in Rome to study Political Science – he eventually graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Munich in late 1991. While he was still studying, the CEO of Lamborghini served as a German Armed Forces paratrooper, and was stationed in Calw and Nagold – he was later promoted to the rank of lieutenant before he left the army.
Hobbies
Stephan is very keen on traveling and has toured many destinations around the world both for work and leisure.
Career
Fiat and Alfa Romeo
After his graduation, Winkelmann began working at the German financial services firm, MLP SE, (previously MLP AG) in 1991. He later left the finance industry for the automotive firm Mercedes-Benz in 1993, serving as a sales representative for one year based in Munich. He then left Mercedes-Benz and joined the Italian luxury car manufacturer Alpha Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. in 1994, to work in the sales management and marketing departments in Germany. He was later selected to head the marketing department for Fiat automobile’s southern region. Subsequently, Winkelmann began working in Italy during the launching of Alpha Romeo 156 (Type 932) in 1999, and he was later appointed to serve as area manager for various European markets. Winkelmann was promoted to the position of sales head in Australia, before he began working as Fiat’s Switzerland and Austria managing director. 2004 saw him relocating to Germany, after he was appointed Fiat Automobile AG’s CEO.
Lamborghini
In 2005, Stephan was taken on by the Volkswagen Group to work as the CEO and President of Automobili Lamborghini, stationed in Sant’Agata, Bolognese. In 2005 and 2006, he was tasked with launching new models of Murcielago, Gallardo, Huracan, Aventador, and other one-offs and unique models. During his service, the firm developed the much-admired 2018 Urus SUV, and it recorded a 300% sales increment between 2005 and 2016. Winkelmann boasts of steering Lamborghini through the success of Lamborghini Gallardo, and he has also seen the company release several other models such as the four-door Estoque in 2008, 2012 Urus, Asterion (which is an electric-hybrid) in 2014, and the famous ultra-exclusive supercar, Reventon.
In late 2020, it was announced that Stephan would be making a comeback as the CEO of Lamborghini, replacing the Italian manager, Stephano Domenicali, who left the firm to become the president of Formula 1 on 1 January 2021. Stephan is a supervisory board member of the association of French luxury automotive manufacturers, Comite Colbert.
Audi Sport and Bugatti
Shortly after leaving Lamborghini, Stephan was taken on by Audi Sport – which was then called Quattro GmbH – as the managing director. He replaced the skilled engineer, Heinz Peter Hollerweger, who had been appointed by the retired Audi development lead, Ulrich Hackenberg, in 2014. During his tenure, he saw the firm producing Audi RS3, RS6, RS7, and the RS8 models. He later became the president and CEO of the French luxury Automobile firm, Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., on 1 January 2018. He replaced the former CEO, Wolfgang Durheimer, who had served in the company for five years before he retired. Several new models were created based on the sports car Bugatti Chiron, including La Voiture Noire, Centodieci, and Divo during his tenure in the firm.
Awards
In 2009, Winkelman was awarded the Grand Officer decoration (in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) for his accomplishment in the Italian automotive industry. In May 2014, he was awarded the highest decoration, the Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, for achieving valued results as the leader of one of the most important Italian automobile firms.
Personal Life
Winkleman has kept the details about his love life away from the public’s eye. It is not clear whether he’s married, or if he has any children.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Winkelmann is of White ancestry and has a set of hazel eyes and black hair. He is very keen on his diet, and works out regularly to maintain his athletic physique. He hasn’t revealed his weight and height.
Net Worth
Stephan has held high positions in some of the most luxurious automobile firms, which has seen him become wealthy and famous. He is reputedly worth approximately $3 million as of 2022, but prefers to live a modest lifestyle.
1 week ago, CEO Stephan Winkelmann appointed Knight Grand Cross by Giorgio Napolitano. Buona #FestadellaRepubblica! pic.twitter.com/r69avx628t
— Lamborghini (@Lamborghini) June 2, 2014
Who Is the Former CEO of Lamborghini, Stephano Domenicali?
Stephano Domenicali is a native of Imola, Italy, and was born under the Taurus zodiac sign on 11 May 1965, which makes him 57 years old as of 2022. His parents were bankers and he developed an interest in automobiles and motor racing when he began going to the track race, Automobile Enzo e Dino Ferrari. He is an alumnus of the University of Bologna, where he studied business administration, and graduated in 1991.
Immediately after graduating, Domenicali was hired by Ferrari to work in their finance department. Thereafter, he served as the race director of the Mugello Circuit race track between 1992 and 1994, and was then promoted to the position of head of personnel in Ferrari’s sporting department, and in December 1996 to the position of Team Manager. He served in the position until 2001 and later held several other positions, including the team’s Sporting Director. 2007 saw him appointed to serve as Ferrari Formula One’s director before he landed the position of Team Principal. In 2014, he left Ferrari for Audi, and in 2016, he was appointed the CEO and President of Automobili Lamborghini.
