After 16 years, Ferrari’s marketing side will have a new leader at the helm.

The Italian manufacturer’s long-serving chief marketing and commercial officer, Enrico Galliera, is stepping down from his role. The management change has been made just weeks after the Prancing Horse revealed the Luce – their first-ever electric vehicle that drew widespread criticism on its launch.

Ferrari made no mention of the Luce in its statement about Galliera’s departure, and only said that the executive has “decided to embark on a new chapter in his professional journey – a decision shared with the company some time ago”.

Based on reports, Galliera and Ferrari already decided to part ways at the start of the year, and the former only agreed to stay until Ferrari’s first EV was launched. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna thanked Galliera for his contributions to helping Ferrari strengthen its brand appeal.

Ferrari has appointed Massimiliano Di Silvestre as Galliera’s successor, and will officially take up the new role as chief marketing and commercial officer by July 1. Di Silvestre was a former BMW executive who served as president and CEO of BMW Italy.

While Di Silvestre brings more than two decades ​of international experience in the premium and luxury automotive sector, there’s a challenge ahead as the five-seat Luce EV is facing a flurry of criticism, particularly with its unconventional design that’s a stark contrast to Ferrari’s aggressive aesthetics.

Apart from negative reactions online, the company’s shares also plunged by 8% the day after the Luce was unveiled. We’re yet to see if the Luce EV will follow the steps of the Ferrari Purosangue SUV, which also initially faced skepticism when it was launched, but eventually became well-received in the luxury market.