Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi replaced by Ferrari, Alfa engineer

French sports car brand Alpine has replaced its CEO of two years, Laurent Rossi, with ex-Ferrari and Alfa Romeo engineer Philippe Krief. Rossi, who headed up Alpine's road car and Formula 1 operations, "will now focus on special projects linked to the transformation of the group", the brand said, giving no further details about his new position. Rossi was appointed to lead Alpine following the shock departure of former boss Cyril Abiteboul – now Hyundai Motorsport team principal – in January 2021. During his stewardship, Alpine has embarked on a dramatic expansion and electrification programme, giving details of how it will go from a one-car line-up (in the form of the petrol-powered Alpine A110 sports coupé) to a seven-strong family of battery-electric cars in a range of segments by the end of the decade. High-profile unveilings under Rossi's tenure include the A290 Beta, a concept preview of the firm's 2024 electric hot hatchback; the radically styled Alpenglow hydrogen hypercar concept; and most recently the A424, a prototype for Alpine's hybrid hypercar for the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours. Rossi was previously the Renault Group's director of strategy and business development, having started at the firm in 1990 - but he also spent time at Boston Consulting Group and Google. Under his leadership, Alpine has achieved dramatic growth and encouraging profitability. Just yesterday (20 July), the brand announced a sales uptick of 9% in the first half of 2023 - driven by a record month in June, with 593 A110s sold. Committed to transforming Alpine from a niche brand into a volume player, Rossi was working towards the company breaking even in 2026 and achieving an operating margin of more than 10% by 2030. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo thanked Rossi "for his unwavering commitment over the last two years at the helm of Alpine". He added: "Laurent has set out a clear and ambitious strategy for the brand. He has put Alpine in the best possible position to achieve its long-term goals. Alpine is now ready to enter a new phase of its development and to become a brand of the future." Rossi's replacement, Philippe Krief, is a recent Alpine recruit, having previously worked for Michelin, Fiat, Maserati and – most notably – as technical director for Alfa Romeo and engineering boss at Ferrari. He was instrumental in the development of the acclaimed Ferrari 458 Italia and Alfa Romeo Giulia. De Meo said: "Philippe combines a long industry experience, great technical knowledge with the leadership qualities that are key to the success of our project, including the launch of the brand's new vehicles starting next year. I fully trust Philippe and his team to take Alpine to new heights.”

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Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi replaced by Ferrari, Alfa engineer

Philippe Krief takes over from Rossi, who has led Alpine through a transformative period of growth

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Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi replaced by Ferrari, Alfa engineer

Philippe Krief takes over from Rossi, who has led Alpine through a transformative period of growth

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