Life In The Fast Lane

WITH DRIVE IN HIS DNA, SUCCESS IN HIS BLOOD AND PASSION IN HIS HEART, THE CEO OF FERRARI AUSTRALASIA, HERBERT APPLEROTH, DOESN’T JUST LOVE THE BRAND HE RUNS, HE LIVES IT.

- Susan Armstrong

It’s a warm autumn morning in Freshwater, on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, Australia, and I’m sitting in a silver Ferrari 488 Pista. As you do. I surreptitiously glance over at my fellow driver as he checks his phone one last time, before adjusting the rear-view mirror. He starts the engine and the hairs on the back of my neck tingle. He looks over at me; “Are we ready?” he asks.

I don’t think there’s a more appropriate place to interview Herbert Appleroth, the CEO of Ferrari Australasia, than here, behind the wheel of his beloved marque. As he effortlessly navigates the traffic and expertly answers my questions – all the while oblivious to the beeps and stares a car like this leaves in its wake – it becomes very apparent, very quickly, that this isn’t just what Herbert does – Ferrari is part of who he is.

“I know how blessed I am,” he says matter-of-factly. “I wake up every day and acknowledge the fact that I love to go to work. It’s my dream job, my passion. And still, at 46, to be able to do this… It’s why, every morning, I make a conscious effort to put myself in the shoes of the consumer. It’s how I ensure we continue to be a customer-focused company. The thing is, I was a Ferrari driver before I worked for the brand. I bought my first Ferrari when I was 26, before I even owned a home, so I have an advantage; I understand what it’s like to be a customer.”

WE ARE FAMILY

It’s with this kind of knowledge that money just can’t buy (or perhaps only