When Wayne Griffiths, CEO of SEAT and CUPRA, came to Barcelona as a free spirit in his youth, he liked the nightlife district so much that 30 years later he named a trailblazing electric car after it.
A wild at heart 55-year-old, and still with a fondness for leather jackets and designer clothes, Griffiths has turned the Barcelona-based company into one of Europe’s fastest growing auto makers. On top of that he masterminded and successfully launched the smash hit spin-off brand, CUPRA, for cars that are sporty, emotional, exciting and fun to drive.
And it is the CUPRA Born, named after one of the trendiest parts of the Catalan capital, that is spearheading the company’s rapid acceleration towards an all-electric future.
“I may be a bit of a rebel, but I am a rebel with a cause,” says Griffiths. “My cause is nothing less than to transform SEAT S.A. into a company that builds electric cars profitably and leads Spain into the age of electric mobility.”
Griffiths arrived in Barcelona in 2016 to run SEAT’s sales and marketing division. After reenergizing the company’s sales performance and achieving massive market share gains in Spain and in markets such as Germany and Mexico, he was appointed to the top job in 2020.
One of the catalysts for SEAT’s success was the launch of CUPRA as a spin-off brand for performance cars, enabling the company to target new segments of the automotive market. So far this year, CUPRA has sold around 70,000 of its sporty and stylish vehicles.
For Griffiths, the extraordinary demand for CUPRA models like the Formentor SUV has vindicated what at the time was a controversial decision.
“Big dreams begin with just a few believers, and at the beginning we were very few believers,” he says. “A lot of people doubted us, but with CUPRA we have managed to create a contemporary brand that has exceeded all our expectations, outperformed our competitors, and forged real connections with the younger generation.”
With the launch this year of the Born and the unveiling of the UrbanRebel concept car, CUPRA is making SEAT S.A. a force to be reckoned with in the age of the battery-powered vehicle.
Under its ambitious Future Fast Forward plan, SEAT is working towards producing an urban electric vehicle by 2025 that will reignite European drivers’ love affair with the car.
And with Griffiths behind the wheel, no car company looks better placed to achieve that ambition.
How are you preparing SEAT for the future, after more than 70 years in business?
Our Future Fast Forward plan is one of the most ambitious projects in the history of our company. It means that by 2025 we hope to be building electric cars in our main plant just outside Barcelona. We are also going to be responsible for developing the electric small urban cars project for the entire Volkswagen Group.
It is a massive change. But it is a huge opportunity not just for the company but for Spain. Part of my job is to make sure that we have the culture and the mindset that allows us to seize this chance. We need to be brave and make some very big decisions. I want everyone at SEAT to dream big and believe that we can win.
““We want to make the driving experience sexy, emotional and exciting.”
Wayne Griffiths, SEAT and CUPRA CEO
How much momentum does your recent sales performance give you?
Demand for SEAT and CUPRA cars is higher than ever before. The two brands complement each other very well. They have different roles and different target groups. The SEAT brand is in the best shape it has ever been in. And with CUPRA we have created an amazing and contemporary brand that is all about design, performance and Barcelona.
How fast is demand for electric cars growing?
Electric cars are the fastest-growing part of the European market. We are talking to the Spanish government about creating new incentives for the customers and investing in public charging infrastructure so that Spain can replicate the boom in demand in northern Europe. The availability of affordable, attractive and exciting cars like the CUPRA Born will only increase demand even more.
What do you like most about working for SEAT in Barcelona?
My favorite place is Casa SEAT, which is our experience center right in the heart of Barcelona. It is buzzing every day of the week.
There is always something going on, often with events that have nothing to do with mobility. It is always full of young people and there is an amazing level of energy
As published in TIME magazine
