FERRARI Australasia chief executive Herbert Appleroth has left the Italian supercar marque after seven years in the top job in this region to pursue his own venture capital fund and philanthropic foundation.

Mr Appleroth has run Ferrari’s operations across Australia and New Zealand from Sydney since the factory took control of its operations in April 2013 from previous independent importer and distributor European Automotive Imports (EAI), part of Ateco Group executive chairman Neville Crichton’s empire.

Mr Appleroth was previously based in Japan, overseeing not only Ferrari Japan as CEO but also Australasia and the Prancing Horse’s operations across Asia-Pacific over a four-year period.

He is also a former global marketing director for Ferrari stablemate Maserati, holding this position from 2005 to 2008, having moved to the Fiat-owned factory when Mr Crichton’s EAI subsidiary took control of Ferrari and Maserati distribution in Australia from The Sutton Group, where Mr Appleroth had served as general manager of both brands for almost seven years.

“After more than 20 years of association with the Ferrari brand, I have left the company to pursue a venture capital fund and philanthropic passions with the Appleroth Future Fund and The Appleroth Foundation,” Mr Appleroth said in a statement he issued this week.

“I am proud of my time at Ferrari which included the significant growth of the brand in both Japan and Australia. I am particularly proud of my legacy projects both in Australia and Japan, including the building of two schools in Ishinomaki after the disastrous tsunami and the creation of Ferrari Driven Women here in Australia.

“My passion for the Ferrari brand and the auto industry will remain for as long as I live and I am excited about the future.

“Thank you to all those who have supported my automotive career and I look forward to sharing the exciting new journey ahead.”

Earlier in his career, Mr Appleroth was general manager in charge of Audi in Australia, sales and marketing manager for Chrysler Jeep, and national dealer manager and (separately) marketing co-ordinator for Volkswagen Australia.

Under his tenure as head of Ferrari Australasia over the past seven years, Ferrari’s annual sales in Australia – which have remained limited by supply – have grown from 106 units in 2013 to 241 in 2018, and are currently on track to eclipse last year’s result with 205 registrations recorded as at the end of September (+21.3%).

There is no word yet on a replacement for him as CEO of Ferrari Australasia.

By Neil Dowling