Luca de Meo started out at Renault and Toyota, before moving to Fiat and masterminding the reboot of its 500 city car. He then moved on to Alfa Romeo, before joining Volkswagen in 2009. He was named head of SEAT last November and now aims to transform the Barcelona-based manufacturer into a front-runner in connectivity.
Driving in the digital age
“I see the opportunity to create additional business in the automotive industry; we should be taking advantage of the fact that people carry devices that are part of a digital world. Everybody lives a digital life. You cannot interrupt that stream when you are driving. People are used to having access to services, possibilities, and functionality everywhere. That is why Google and Apple are getting into this. They know cars will be an important part of IoT.”
“Our intention is to be a front-runner.”
Luca de Meo, President, SEAT
Reaching for the reset button
“The connected car is our first priority, but it is not about technology for technology’s sake. It is more about creating a digital ecosystem that enables the car to communicate with infrastructure and mobile carriers. It is not about investing in the product itself, but about harnessing creativity to build around the product. We are almost in a reset mode in the automotive industry where we need to move from product development to an ecosystem-driven approach. Everyone is learning.”
Building confidence via tech partnerships
“Our strategy is to make technology easy and accessible. That is a key trigger to get into real volumes. Because of the purchasing power of our customers, we have to find a simple solution that not only works, but makes economic sense. We are already selling one car in six with connected functionality. Technology is a tool. We have to use it to position SEAT and find our uniqueness. We need to increase customer loyalty and bring people into our world, not just with SEAT but also through partnerships. We are doing things with SAP and Samsung, opening the company up to cooperation with big players to create an ecosystem that is rich and wide enough for people to feel confident in that environment.”
Taking SEAT to the next level
“With changes in consumer behavior and technology, there is discontinuity in the automotive industry. That makes it interesting for me, even though I have been here for so long. It gives us a chance to play on the same level as those who are much bigger right now. If we combine agility with hunger for success, we can bring SEAT to where it deserves to be. This is an impressive, innovative company and I intend to push the organization to the next level.”
