OCTOBER 26, 2006

The beginnings of a reshuffle

Up until yesterday, Luca di Montezemolo was chairman and chief executive officer of Ferrari SpA. It was obviously not a hugely taxing role as he also found time to run the FIAT empire. He left the running of the business to his General Manager Jean Todt, who has also been running the sporting department at Ferrari. This was a great deal of work and Todt has often seemed weary from his exertions. Now Todt has been appointed chief executive officer of Ferrari and will presumably inherit a slightly easier life (even if the title sounds better) while his General Manager title (and the work) passes on to Amedeo Felisa, his deputy. This would seem to suggest that rumours that Todt is retiring are wide of the mark - for the moment at least - but he will be changing the emphasis of his work. It remains to be seen what will now happen within the sporting department as Todt's "promotion" may leave him in control but will open the way for other appointments. There has long been speculation that Ross Brawn will eventually be given the role of manager of the sporting department but that may not happen until the end of next year - assuming that Brawn takes a year out and hands over his technical director title to someone else.