I thought I could hold onto this one over the weekend, but I guess I was wrong. Asphalt & Rubber, along with several other publications it would seem, have gotten news that Gabriele del Torchio, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, could be leaving the company for a position with Italian airline Alitalia.

Still an unconfirmed rumor at this point, Del Torchio’s move would mark the end to a major chapter in Ducati’s history, as the Bologna company has flurished under the Italian’s command. Though this transition that has been hinted at since Audi AG bought Ducati Motor Holding from Investindustrial, the news perhaps isn’t surprising, but it does raise some interesting question marks for the future.

For starters, Alitalia is run by Roberto Colaninno, the same man at the helm of the Piaggio Group, which makes for some interesting intra-industry intrigue. Though it would be interesting to see Del Torchio’s game plan at work at the beleaguered brands of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, his talents do seem better fit to the challenges Alitalia currently faces.

Should Del Torchio leave Ducati, the bigger question is perhaps not what he will do next, but who will fill his role at Ducati Motor Holding. With Audi AG already bringing in German Bernhard Gobmeier to takeover Ducati Corse, will the German parent company bring in another of one of its countrymen to fill Ducati’s ranks, or will the position be filled with another Italian?

That either/or analysis might be old hat actually, as Ducati is currently transitioning from a European brand into a global marquee, where India and Southeast Asia are extremely important markets for two-wheel manufacturers. Could we see another nationality fill the ranks? All interesting things to ponder while we wait for official news.

Source: Bothan Spies