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Ferrari revealed
today that Dany Bahar, who quit Red Bull in February, will
join the Maranello sportscar maker, heading up a newly
formed Global Brand Department. Bahar has been widely
reported in the media during recent weeks to be in line to
take up a top job within the Scuderia, so his new position -
where he will report directly to Managing Director Jean Todt
- has come as a surprise.
Ferrari issued a
brief statement this afternoon to announce the appointment
of Bahar to head up the new department: "Ferrari
announces that it has set up a Global Brand Department, a new
business unit that will operate alongside the Gestione Industriale and the
Gestione Sportiva in the Company structure," the statement read. "The function of the department
is to manage and develop the Ferrari brand on a worldwide scale. Heading up
the Department is Dany Bahar, who reports in to the Company Managing
Director," it added.
Bahar has been a
leading figure at Red Bull in recent years, and was regarded
as being the 'right hand man' of the energy drinks firm's
boss Dietrich Mateschitz, whom he came into contact with
while working in finance circles in Lichtenstein, following
a stint in sports marketing based in Rome. Bahar, who was
born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1971 grew up in Switzerland
after his family emigrated whilst he way young. While at Red
Bull he also championed the idea of buying sporting clubs
outright, seeing the beverage firm's role as being much more
than just a sponsor, rather taking long-term investment
decisions with other brands. Red Bull recently bought
Austria's leading football team - which it has re-branded -
as well as picking up an NFL franchise in the United States.
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