Francesco Milicia has been named Marketing Director of Automobili Lamborghini, effective September 1, 2026, succeeding Christian Mastro, who transitions to CEO of Automobili Lamborghini America. Milicia arrives directly from Ducati — both Volkswagen Group brands — where he most recently held global responsibility for Sales and After Sales activities.

From Ducati to Sant’Agata Bolognese: Milicia’s Path

Francesco Milicia’s career reads like a genuine tour through global automotive leadership. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bologna and an MBA, with executive education completed across INSEAD, CEIBS, and the London Business School. He began his professional career at Ducati in Operations, then spent 2005 to 2012 holding various managerial positions in China within a multinational group. At the end of 2012 he returned to Ducati as Managing Director of Ducati Motor Thailand, where he led the implementation of a cutting-edge vertical production process.

Back in Italy by 2015, Francesco Milicia joined Ducati’s Board of Management as Purchasing Director, before taking on global responsibility for Sales and After Sales in 2018 — the role he now departs. It’s a genuinely deep, multi-market executive career: operations, purchasing, country management, and global sales leadership across three different regions, all before this move to Lamborghini.

What the Role Means for Lamborghini’s Global Strategy

“We welcome Francesco Milicia to Lamborghini as Marketing Director,” said Federico Foschini, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer of Automobili Lamborghini. “His managerial experience, gained in an environment of excellence such as Ducati, combined with the international vision and strategic expertise he has developed throughout his career, will make a valuable contribution to the further strengthening of the brand’s positioning.” Milicia himself was warm about the move: “Joining Automobili Lamborghini is an honour and a privilege. I have always admired the brand and I am thrilled to contribute to the journey of a company that inspires people around the world through innovation, audacity and uncompromising excellence.”

Francesco Milicia steps into the role at a fully hybrid Lamborghini — a lineup built around three families: Revuelto, the first HPEV with a V12 engine; Urus SE, the first plug-in hybrid Super SUV; and Temerario, the benchmark V8 HPEV in its category, with extreme variants like the Urus SE Performante rounding out the range. The company employs more than 3,000 people across 186 dealers in 57 countries.

Having spent real time with Francesco Milicia during his years at Ducati, this one lands a little closer to home than most industry appointments we cover. Lamborghini is getting an executive who genuinely understands what it means to lead with both precision and passion — and if his run at Ducati is any indication, Sant’Agata Bolognese is about to get more interesting. Congratulations, Francesco — we’ll be watching closely to see where you take the brand next.