Marc Winteroff out

Looking at elevators as just 'dumb boxes' misses what that industry actually is today. It’s actually a massive tech, logistics, and hardware-software integration ecosystem, which is exactly where Lucid needs to scale right now.

Over the last decade, the major elevator players have shifted entirely to AI and cloud connected platforms. They manage millions of connected units globally, utilizing real time sensor telemetry, predictive maintenance algorithms, and massive cloud infrastructure. It’s heavy software defined engineering, just vertical.

Furthermore, the industry is fiercely competitive on hardware efficiency and software integration-handling advanced robotics, magnetic levitation (maglev) linear motors, and destination dispatch algorithms that optimize traffic flow using complex data modeling.

Lucid has already proven it has world class foundational EV engineering. What it needs now isn't just another visionary startup inventor; it needs a CEO who understands complex global supply chains, heavy industrial scaling, high-uptime software networks, and razor-thin margin execution in an ultra-competitive global market. If this new CEO can bring that level of rigorous corporate scaling and tech integration to Lucid's manufacturing and OTA pipelines, it might be exactly the operational pivot the company needs to survive and scale.
Appreciate the education on elevator technology and I hope it bodes well for Lucid. I'm a stockholder, but I care far more about the impact on my Air ownership experience than on losing a little money in stock.

And I still don't see how firing Emad helped anything (yes I know some of you will say we don't know if he was fired...)
 
Since the beginning we, especially the investors have been worried about the production's number/guidance, counting cars from Bears video etc.
The production number doesn't reflect the quality of each unit build, especially at 6 figure price point and this overwhelms the already limited after service department.

Mr Napoli apparently is the guy in this regard.
 
Appreciate the education on elevator technology and I hope it bodes well for Lucid. I'm a stockholder, but I care far more about the impact on my Air ownership experience than on losing a little money in stock.

And I still don't see how firing Emad helped anything (yes I know some of you will say we don't know if he was fired...)
I just think it’s unfair to look at the guy's resume, fixate on the elevator aspect, and automatically assume he has no idea what he’s doing. I completely appreciate Lucid’s engineering, but it’s clear that you can have the most advanced cars in the world, but if you can’t sort out your operations and logistics to build and deliver them efficiently, that engineering is futile.

Look at Apple, when Steve Jobs handed the reins to Tim Cook, everyone said he was the wrong choice because he wasn't an 'innovator.' The skeptics were right about his profile, but look where he took the company. Lucid is in a similar position. They’ve already done the heavy lifting on foundational innovation and are still ahead of the competition on tech. What they desperately need right now is an operational leader who knows how to take that brilliant innovation, scale the business, and get it sold to the masses.
 
I just think it’s unfair to look at the guy's resume, fixate on the elevator aspect, and automatically assume he has no idea what he’s doing. I completely appreciate Lucid’s engineering, but it’s clear that you can have the most advanced cars in the world, but if you can’t sort out your operations and logistics to build and deliver them efficiently, that engineering is futile.

Look at Apple, when Steve Jobs handed the reins to Tim Cook, everyone said he was the wrong choice because he wasn't an 'innovator.' The skeptics were right about his profile, but look where he took the company. Lucid is in a similar position. They’ve already done the heavy lifting on foundational innovation and are still ahead of the competition on tech. What they desperately need right now is an operational leader who knows how to take that brilliant innovation, scale the business, and get it sold to the masses.
Exactly. Tim Cook may not be some flashy head-turner, but he has a history on logistics. When you're moving towards an aggressive global scale, you need logistics.

There's that saying that goes something like "Soldiers win battles. Logistics win wars."
 
I just think it’s unfair to look at the guy's resume, fixate on the elevator aspect, and automatically assume he has no idea what he’s doing.
Oh I didn't assume that until he fired Emad 🤣. But I get your point and I am rooting for them... albeit cautiously.
 
At every company I've ever worked at, when a new "boss" starts, heads roll. It always happens. Soon, you'll see new hires, people he trusts.

I will admit, the new CEO is particularly quick.
 
Exactly. Tim Cook may not be some flashy head-turner, but he has a history on logistics. When you're moving towards an aggressive global scale, you need logistics.

There's that saying that goes something like "Soldiers win battles. Logistics win wars."
Totally agree but when Tim Cook took over, the iPhone was already a household name. There's still a business to be built at Lucid.
 
IMO Peter's "departure" was a due to an inability to execute operationally, which was Winteroff's full time job. Peter's was innovative and established & drove a corporate culture of innovation and excellence.

When Winteroff was named interim CEO, that was his opportunity, and second chance quite honestly, to get the operational house in order. Instead, he galavanted around, for 15 months pretending to be a CEO and failed miserably in taking the Gravity launch to what we all expected. Expanding intohorizontal markets, and focusing on the roadmap of self driving, and level 4, completely disregarding getting the most basic fundamentals right.

Meanwhile, Gravity owners couldn't (can't?) even get their doors open. Mark screwed up the Gravity launch and turned a brand name of exceeding excellence, to highly negative sentiment impacting the larger mass market of potential Gravity buyers. He cut Service at exactly the worst time, clueless to the operational needs of the company and customers as well.

The board should've kept Peter and discarded Winteroff 18 months ago (or longer). Instead, Peter, the visionary and corporate culture leader is gone, the Gravity launch was a bust, and we have a new CEO who is (and had been hired to) gut the culture of the company. It will take him 1+ years to reshape it as a distraction to getting operations in order. He has correctly released Winteroff who on my mind bears responsibility for the flailing operations of the firm and had cost the firm 18 months of distractions.

So here we are... Lucid is no longer the Lucid I knew and bought from in 2022. Lucid is being transformed into a different car company because it has to be, because we never had a competent COO. Lots of great people are being laid off as a consequence and the culture is being dismantled.

The board should've kept Peter and gotten a real COO a long time ago.
Last time I recall, Peter was still plays a roll as technical advisor to the board. Not sure how that plays out but it sounds like he still has some degree of involement
 
Totally agree but when Tim Cook took over, the iPhone was already a household name. There's still a business to be built at Lucid.
You also have to look beyond iPhones. Take a look at the Macbook Neo, which took over the more reasonable laptop market
 
I will admit, the new CEO is particularly quick.
Don't think he had much choice. There's one thing Lucid hasn't been good at, is moving fast. Maybe this can be seen as a positive and that they'll finally shift gears a little.
 
I'm hopeful that Mr. Napoli's efforts to have a more direct reporting organization will move the company toward more money and resources to the areas that need it most. Napoli is certainly taking responsibility - I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Aligning production with demand - EXCELLENT! :). What on earth was the second shift making, anyway? Seems like allot of inventory on hand already.
yeah, say what you want about Silvio Napoli, but a CEO who's willing to roll up his sleeves, dives head-on, and get his hands dirty is worth earning respect. Way too many higher ups get too comfortable and are way too scared to work the trenches and fight with their backs against the wall.
 
Can you all imagine the dump truck of charges and write offs that are going to be dropped in this next quarterly call? This may be the mother of all kitchen sink earnings calls.

I’m sure a pathway to profitability will accompany it, and that might even be credible, but this really could be the most interesting call of the quarter.
 

Surprised about this exit, Napoli isn’t an auto man, thought he might keep Marc at least a year
I like what has happened. Serious cost-cutting is needed. Glad that Napoli has moved FAST. Lucid has not had a sense of urgency with anything I have observed over the past 5 years. Winterhoff had many critics. Now he's gone, so that should be a bullish indicator for them. I thought that selling few cars per quarter in Germany was a blatant waste of resources. Spend that money on servicing US owners, who are purchasing cars.

Napoli was smart to eliminate the COO position and take operational AND executive control (and of course responsibility). These are very positive changes in my view. BTW, Tesla has NEVER had a COO.
 
hc79 has got it right..and beautiful elevator nuts and bolts summary
 
The stock is still basically unaffected. Anybody buying some??

It’s literally the only down stock in my portfolio. I have a rule not to feed the losers that I have broken twice previously for Lucid. But I’m going to do it again! That’s how much I love my car.
 
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