Stephan Winkelmann

The former paratrooper and Lamborghini CEO is Bugatti’s new president. And now he’s aiming for even bigger accomplishments

- Matthew Galang

Leaving a top position at a luxury performance car brand sounds like something nobody in their right mind would do willingly. But when Bugatti comes calling, picking up the phone suddenly doesn’t seem like a bad idea. This was the very decision Stephan Winkelmann made when he chose to go up a notch in the VW Group hierarchy.

He has big shoes to fill, having replaced Wolfgang Dürheimer at the helm of the VW-owned French carmaker. Leading a company at the pinnacle of the car industry comes with an immense amount of challenge and pressure, but for Stephan Winkelmann, who ran Lamborghini for 11 years with ever-increasing performance and vigor, immense pressure can only create diamonds.