Luca di Montezemolo

thumb|right|Luca Cordero di Montezemolo Luca Cordero di Montezemolo (born 31 August 1947) is an Italian businessman and motorsport executive who is best known as the former chairman of Ferrari, Fiat S.p.A., Confindustria and Alitalia. Quotes Quotes are arranged in chronological order Ferrari grew thanks to the genius and determination of an entrepreneur. After that, it couldn't grow on its own, because the second phase – that of growth and consolidation – is different from the phase of setting up a company. That's more or less what's happening in the North-East.Above all , growth is a matter of mindset and organisation. Quoted in Quotidiano nazionale, 18 July 2003, p. 26. There is someone (Flavio Briatore) who, when he talks about Ferrari – and he does so too often – misses a good opportunity to keep his mouth shut. Quoted in Raffaele Della Valle, «Farà sempre parte della famiglia Ferrari», La Gazzetta dello Sport, 11 September 2006. Because merit is a sign of civilisation, as well as of fairness. Rewarding those who deserve it means recognising people for their worth and their commitment, not for their social background. Instead, our society remains centred around social classes, with very low social mobility, where children follow in their parents' footsteps, and where there is little room for young people in top positions in politics and the professions. [...] An efficient public administration is the cornerstone of reviving the country's development. Without an efficient public administration, it will not be possible to provide quality services to businesses and citizens, reliable timeframes for the administration of justice, practical income support for the most vulnerable, a modern welfare system, or schools and universities that are assessed and rewarded on the basis of merit. Absenteeism is the hallmark of an inefficient and poorly functioning public administration. From the speech to the opening of the 2007–2008 academic year at LUISS University; quoted in Libero, 5 December 2007. I do not intend to found a [political] party, nor to join a party if there were to be an election. [...] If political engagement means forming a new party, then my answer is no. Non-partisan civic and political engagement is different. From an interview by Fabio Fazio at the TV programme Che tempo che fa; quoted in la Repubblica, 21 November 2010. It's like a never-ending soap opera that's drawing to a close, even though we still have the same actors and even though the names of the parties have changed. We need to encourage society to address Italy's problems and help young people to come forward. [...] This government has capable ministers, but two years ago it was elected with a single majority; it had the opportunity to bring about a lot of change, but that didn't happen. From an interview by Fabio Fazio at the TV programme Che tempo che fa; quoted in la Repubblica, 21 November 2010. We don't sell cars; we sell dreams. From an interview to The New York Times, 14 May 2011; quoted in Montezemolo: “Non vendiamo macchine, vendiamo sogni”, ilpost.it, 15 May 2011. Michael [Schumacher] will always be in the hearts of those who work in Maranello. With courage and passion, he achieved results that will be hard to repeat: we wish him all the best. Quoted in Flavio Vanetti, Vent'anni di Schumi tra ricordi e gaffe La F1 lucida il mito, Corriere della Sera, 26 August 2011. Del Piero is irreplaceable; for Juventus, he represents a piece of modern history. We owe him our thanks for what he did and how he did it. He will be sorely missed, but he is one of the great champions, and great champions pass away. [...] In the history of Ferrari, I can compare him to Niki Lauda and Schumacher. Quoted in Montezemolo: "Del Piero insostituibile ma anche i grandi campioni passano", lastampa.it, 23 May 2012. (About Fernando Alonso) He's the best driver I've ever seen on the track. He impresses me for three reasons: for his understanding of the race, especially in terms of tyre wear; for being a great motivator for the team; and for his presence at Maranello. Quoted in Montezemolo indeciso: "Massa? Devo riflettere", gazzetta.it, 27 September 2012. What I remember about Senna is his kindness and his down-to-earth nature, which almost seemed like shyness, in stark contrast to the racing Senna, a fighter who was always determined to give his all. I had always admired Ayrton's way of racing. Like all great champions, he always had an enormous desire to win. He never tired of striving for perfection and was constantly trying to improve. He was extraordinary in qualifying but also a great fighter in the race, always with his teeth clenched. Quoted in Montezemolo su Senna: "Avrebbe chiuso la carriera in Ferrari", gazzetta.it, 30 April 2014. From a business perspective, I would go so far as to say that the core of Paestum's business is undoubtedly the Temple of Neptune. Given its age, the Basilica is perhaps even more incredible than the Temple of Neptune. "Luca Cordero di Montezemolo incantato dal Parco Archeologico di Paestum", lacittadisalerno.it, 22 August 2018. Niki [Lauda] was also a great champion off the track: a straightforward and sincere man, and a loyal friend. He was also tough when it came to saying things with complete transparency. [...] Do they remember him as a 'computer'? He was a very sensitive young man. He always worked on the details […]. He liked to laugh and have fun, but there was always an underlying seriousness to him. From an interview released to Radio anch'io, Rai Radio 1; quoted in Montezemolo: "Lauda era un amico vero, con lui ho vissuto momenti indimenticabili", eurosport.com, 21 May 2019. Undated I joined Ferrari in 1991. I'd treated myself to a yellow 348 [...]. And I'll never forget that time in Rome when I was at a traffic light. The light turned green, and I saw a young lad next to me in a black Golf GTI who took off and, for the first 30–40 metres, was faster. He was really nice; he recognised me and said, "Hey Monteze, this one's much faster." So I had my first meeting without saying anything to Ferrari: "Give me some details about this 348." One person spoke [...]. So I looked at the slides, and they said, '348, best in class, acceleration...' I let them talk and everything, and then I said, "Guys, you're out of luck: unfortunately, I'm a customer of this shit car, which makes a lot of noise and doesn't move." I called Niki Lauda and said, "Come and try this car," and he said exactly the same thing... Quoted in Quella volta che... Montezemolo: «La 348 è una merd...!», automoto.it, 5 February 2019. Quotes about Not wanting to blatantly favour him, Agnelli took him on within the Fiat group through a standard, rigorous recruitment process, in which, alongside Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, two other inexperienced candidates took part. The exam consists of a single question: 'Would you rather work on the presses or be the sporting director at Ferrari?' With great composure, Luca replied that he would prefer to be the sporting director rather than working on the presses. Michele Serra, quoted in Marco Pastonesi and Giorgio Terruzzi, Palla lunga e pedalare, Dalai Editore, 1992, p. 48. ISBN 88-8598-826-2. External links di Montezemolo, Luca Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Italy