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Open to Permanent

Ivan Badolato

Head of Sales Europe | B2B/B2C/DTC | P&L Owner | CRM Expert | Customer Journey & Business Growth
About

I launch, scale and elevate automotive businesses with a premium mindset and a start-up execution style. Over the past 20+ years, I’ve built a unique trajectory across Europe, China and the Middle East, helping brands like CUPRA, Cadillac, GAC-Fiat and Abarth enter and grow in competitive markets. From opening the GAC-FCA dealer network in China to driving CUPRA’s growth in Italy and France, I’ve consistently turned strategy into traction. I operate across B2B, B2C and DTC channels with equal agility, having structured sales and retail teams, implemented CRM tools like Salesforce, and delivered strong commercial results through data-driven decision making. As General Manager of FCA MotorVillage Cannes, I turned around a loss-making operation with -500k€/year into a profitable business in under 3 years, doubling revenue to €35M and raising customer satisfaction (NPS) from 42% to 89%. At Cadillac Europe, I led the French market P&L, increased margins by over 30%, and cut SG&A by 25% while launching the new DTC model. On the premium side, I’ve worked for Ferrari, led flagship EV launches for Cadillac and CUPRA, and earned a Luxury Attitude certification. I believe customer experience isn’t a department , it’s the whole business. Fluent in Italian, French, English and Spanish, with intermediate German (B1). Mechanical engineer by training, leader by conviction. Let’s talk business growth, brand value and international scale.

Previous Brands
CUPRA
FCA - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Yamaha
Ferrari
Bridgestone
Fiat Auto
Cadillac Europe
Work Experience
Head of Sales- D2C Europe
Mar ‘24 - Now
General Motors Europe

Leading GM Europe’s Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) transformation across key European markets. Full P&L ownership for France: achieved +30% margin growth and -25% SG&A cost reduction. Launched EV flagship model (Cadillac Lyriq), building a premium, digital-first customer journey. Structured sales operations and implemented performance tracking via Salesforce CRM and Power BI. Managing a cross-functional team across 4 countries and 8 flagship locations.

Global Sales and Customer Journey CUPRA City Garage flagship
Sep ‘22 - Apr ‘24
CUPRA

Designed and deployed CUPRA’s flagship retail concept across 7 markets Integrated digital tools (e-commerce, metaverse) into a premium experience strategy Delivered +72% YoY growth through experience-led customer engagement

Regional Manager France/Italy/UK
Mar ‘19 - Apr ‘24
CUPRA

Structured and expanded CUPRA’s retail network in France and Italy Achieved +76% growth in France and +92% in Italy Launched B2B and fleet strategies, increasing professional channel sales by 35% Supported implementation of the Agency Model

DEALER GENERAL MANAGER CANNES
Jan ‘15 - Jan ‘18
FCA - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Headcounts: 34 directs+ 4 outsourcers+2 trainees. Turned around a loss-making dealership (-500k€/year) into profitability in <3 years Doubled revenue to €35M and improved NPS from 42% to 89% Managed full P&L, HR, sales, aftersales and CRM strategy (Salesforce)

Business Line Manager Europe-SALES
Jan ‘13 - Jan ‘15
FCA - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Managed sales and P&L across 22 FCA-owned dealerships in 7 countries Increased gross profit by 71% YoY through margin optimization

International Area Manager Europe- Middle East - ROW
Jan ‘12 - Jan ‘13
FCA - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Mission: Supporting and leading the assigned country/area in achieving short and medium term commercial performances

International Area Manager Middle East- Egypt - Libya
Jan ‘11 - Jan ‘12
FCA - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Oversaw importer markets across Middle East & North Africa Opened new markets and supervised Chrysler-Fiat integration Budget planning, sales activation and dealer development

Commercial Account Manager China
Jan ‘10 - Jan ‘11
FCA - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Launched first GAC-FCA dealer network in China Introduced Fiat Bravo and Viaggio models to Chinese market Coordinated training, localization, and retail activation

Senior Commodity Manager
Dec ‘07 - May ‘10
FCA - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Head of Engineering and NSC Purchasing. In charge of 3 Billion spending and 16 buyers ( 9 locate Europe-wide and 7 in Turin HQ)

Project Buyer
Mar ‘06 - Nov ‘06
Yamaha

DIRECT MATERIALS AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: ALLOY WHEELS, ALUMINUM FRONT FORKS, BRAKE SYSTEM

Senior Buyer
Jan ‘06 - Jan ‘07
Ferrari

DIRECT MATERIALS: RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERIORS, LIGHTING AND COMPOSITES

Strategic Buyer
Mar ‘05 - Feb ‘06
Bridgestone

BUYER FOR RAW MATERIAL COMMODITY OIL

Commodity Buyer/ Project Buyer
Apr ‘02 - Feb ‘05
Fiat Auto

BUYER ON COMMODITY METAL SHEET STAMPING, TECHNICAL COST REDUCTION ON COMMODITY METAL SHEET STAMPING; INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON INDIA MARKET

Languages
English - Fluent
French - Fluent
German - Basic
Italian - Native
Spanish - Fluent
Education & Training
Università degli Studi di Salerno
Master of Engineering - MEng
Cannes, France