From automotive to robotaxis: the future of mobility as told by Corrado Lanzone
6 February 2025Corrado Lanzone, Alumnus of the Executive MBA, has built a career that spans two fascinating and challenging worlds: the traditional automotive sector and that of autonomous vehicles. Both fields demand a rigorous technical approach, a strategic vision, and an extraordinary capacity for innovation. With twenty years of experience at Ferrari and his current role at Zoox, Lanzone stands as an example of visionary leadership and the ability to adapt to constantly evolving contexts.
In this interview, he shares the challenges of transitioning to robotaxis, the importance of continuous education, and the value of teamwork, with a special focus on the opportunities provided by the BBS Community. A dialogue that combines professional experience, personal insights, and valuable advice for those aspiring to lead global innovation projects.
The transition from traditional automotive to autonomous robotaxis is a significant leap, requiring not only technical skills but also the courage to reinvent oneself. What has this transition meant for you, and which skills, beyond purely technical ones, have proven essential?
The move from the automotive and racing sectors, where I gained my experience, to the world of autonomous vehicles has entailed significant differences and challenges but also maintains a logical continuity from a technical standpoint. The primary difference lies in the high technological content, both hardware and software, and their deep integration with the vehicle. Autonomous vehicles, in fact, are not just the “body” of the vehicle but also include the driving system with the “brain” (computer), the “eyes” (sensors), and the “intelligence” (AI and software). These elements, which are present to a much lesser extent in a traditional car, make the autonomous vehicle sector highly complex and fascinating.
The similarities, on the other hand, are found in the shared approach to design and production, which involves creating strong integration between complex subsystems. These must ensure continuous, reliable, and perfectly repeatable behavior. At the core of everything lies a methodological rigor essential for achieving the required levels of reliability. Beyond technical skills, teamwork, talent development, and the ability to develop and execute a strategic growth plan have been fundamental. This approach requires graduality, sustainability, consistency, and constant dedication to the defined objectives.
You spent 20 years at Ferrari, an Italian excellence recognized worldwide. How did your educational experience at BBS help you, if it did, tackle what you recently described in a La Repubblica interview as a “gamble worth taking” at Zoox? How important is it to keep learning even after reaching a prestigious role?
My professional journey is deeply intertwined with my personal one, as I have always prioritized doing work that was extremely meaningful and motivating to me. My “mission-driven” approach pushed me to pursue clear objectives, focusing on how to create value around these goals. After many years at Ferrari, competing on Formula 1 circuits, my focus shifted toward a mission that I found highly motivating: improving road safety and addressing the challenges associated with urban mobility sustainability.
The educational experience at Bologna Business School was crucial because it exposed me to broader challenges and provided me with the tools needed to navigate more complex contexts. I believe alternating moments of professional experience with moments of education is fundamental to consolidating experiences into knowledge and also to “seeing” new things or seeing familiar things with “new eyes.”
In the interview, you also talk about the importance of the concept of teamwork, saying that “together you can achieve something greater.” How does this principle tie into your experience with the BBS Community, with which you have remained connected by participating as a speaker in training events and hosting participants from the Executive MBA English Edition and the Global MBA Ferrari during the International Week?
I have always considered teamwork essential, not only to enrich my own knowledge through the contributions of others but also for the satisfaction of seeing colleagues grow through my suggestions. Working together allows us to aim for greater and more significant results than those that can be achieved individually.
Even during my time at Bologna Business School, this approach was central. The EMBA program in 2012 forged deep bonds among many of us participants, bonds that, even now, more than ten years later, lead us to interact almost daily.
I feel profound gratitude toward BBS for this opportunity and, for this reason, I am happy to collaborate with the School. Supporting others in navigating their professional lives is, for me, a way to repay what I received during my journey, in the spirit that in the United States is called “give back.”
You are leading a project that represents the future of mobility, in a multicultural context you describe as “the dream of humanity coming true.” What advice would you give to someone currently pursuing an Executive MBA and aspiring to lead global innovation projects?
I’ve always been hesitant to offer structured advice, preferring a more indirect approach based on sharing what has worked for me. I received a strong ethical grounding that has always driven me to align my work with my sense of personal value. This has led me to engage in projects that make me proud, beyond the generalized concept of success, which can sometimes distort fundamental values.
For me, success is about discovering and realizing the noblest and most universal version of myself—my “best self.” This doesn’t mean abandoning the pursuit of economic and professional stability but rather achieving it in harmony with an approach aligned with one’s identity and core values. In particular, valuing diversity and fostering inclusion have always been central aspects for me, especially regarding their impact on team spirit.
I believe that the pursuit of innovation and success must be approached from this perspective, to tap into the extraordinary energy that comes from a genuine aspiration for improvement and progress—not just individually but also for communities.
