Eddy Cue Joins Ferrari Board
According to a press release on the Ferrari Website, Apple’s very own – Eddy Cue has joined the Board of Directors at Ferrari.
Recently, Cue was given additional responsibilities as a result of Forstall departure. Cue, a 23-year Apple veteran, in charge of iTunes was given control of the Siri voice recognition service and the Apple Maps App.
CNET recently did a nice write-up on Cue, here is some of what they had to say:
[quote] For the affable Cue, a diehard Duke University basketball fan, sports car collector, and studious avoider of the spotlight, the added responsibilities are the latest indication of the regard with which he’s held both inside and outside Apple.
“There’s nobody quite like Eddy Cue at Android or any of the other competitors,” said Bob Bowman, president and CEO of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), the company that manages Internet rights for pro baseball and sells baseball-themed apps on iTunes. “Eddy is genius, brilliant, thoughtful, and tough. There’s nothing that we’ve asked for that they’ve just said, ‘Fine.'[/quote]
Ferrari’s Press Release:
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“These results confirm Ferrari’s excellent performance in practically all of the 60 nations in which it is present despite the continuing economic climate. Once again the exception is Italy where we have witnessed a drop partly due to the economic crisis, but also to a hostile environment for luxury goods which have long been, and continue to be, an important resource for the country,” said Luca di Montezemolo who then announced the addition of a new Ferrari board member. “I am delighted that Eddy Cue, one of the main driving forces behind Apple’s range of revolutionary products, has now joined our board. His huge experience in the dynamic, innovative world of the Internet will be of great assistance to us.”
Eddie Cue is Apple’s Senior Vice President Internet Software and Services and oversees Apple’s industry-leading content stores including the iTunes Store, the revolutionary App Store and the iBookstore, as well as Siri, Maps, iAd and Apple’s innovative iCloud services. He is a 23-year Apple veteran and played a major role in creating the Apple online store in 1998, the iTunes Music Store in 2003 and the App Store in 2008. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics at Duke University.
“I am pleased and proud to become a member of the board. I have personally dreamed of owning a Ferrari since I was 8 years old and have been lucky to be an owner for the past 5 years. I continue to be awed by the world-class design and engineering that only Ferrari can do,” said Eddie Cue, commenting on his nomination to the board.
Ferrari’s Brand-related activities (licensing retail and e-commerce) continue to grow. Revenues from the online store are up 32 per cent while those generated by licenses were up 20 per cent, with Puma is proving particularly robust. Ferrari also recently signed an agreement with Mondo TV for the production and distribution of The Drakers, an original animated series for young viewers that is inspired by the world of Ferrari.
Visits to Ferrari.com were also up by 20 per cent, while Facebook has almost 10 million fans and views on the Ferrari YouTube channel have exceeded 20 million.
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