BARI – From Bari to the top management of Tesla, in California. A common thread that has the passion for engines as its common denominator. The story of engineer Giulio Tarqunio tells how talent, passion and perseverance truly know no boundaries, despite always having their roots in the heart.
Dai go kart a San Francisco «It all started with a love for engines: when I was ten years old my father took me on a go-kart for the first time. From there I never left this world and, after high school, I chose a faculty that would allow me to remain in this area. I left Bari at 18 to go and study Automotive Engineering at the Polytechnic of Turin: I graduated both in a three-year degree and in a specialist degree with 110 cum laude with a specialization in “propulsion”. During my university years I was part of the student team that participated in the Fsae world championship: a competition between universities in which a team of students must design, build and race a small formula car. I was head of the engine project and one of the two pilots. This experience led me to meet my first future boss in the workplace: Daniel Neidlein, Head of Vehicle Dynamics at Lamborghini. Three months after graduating I was hired by Automobili Lamborghini as a Vehicle Dynamics Engineer.” Just the beginning of a long wandering around the world.
«Another very important step – he continues – is due to Leonardo Pascali, also from Puglia: he proposed that I join McLaren as responsible for the vehicle dynamics development of the Ultimate platforms. So I moved to Woking, near London, dividing my time between England and Barcelona. I found that the most challenging job was to balance the car’s attributes/performance so that the driving experience is consistent. There is no point in developing a car that has ultra-comfortable suspension if the seats are uncomfortable or there is noise in the cabin. At the beginning of 2021, the call came from Lars Moravy, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla: he proposed me to direct a new department, exactly in the direction I wanted and I agreed to undertake this new adventure in California. Today I hold a management role at Tesla as Director – Vehicle Attributes.”
The car of the future Such level of experience allows Tarqunio to focus on the evolution of the car market. And it seems that the revolution will be radical. «We are in a really interesting moment for the future of the automobile and transport in general. It is difficult to understand, in a time of continuous changes, what the developments will be in propulsion, artificial intelligence and sustainability. Being agile is fundamental”, he analyzes. «However, the car as we know it will increasingly become a recreational object limited to the moments in which a person feels the pleasure of driving, while daily use where the only objective is to move from point A to point B will gradually be replaced by products with autonomous driving and potentially not owned but with on-demand use”.
Meritocracy and adaptations A life as a globtrotter, therefore, which always represented new challenges. «Going to London – reveals Tarqunio – was the really important step, because the cultural change is radical. Relating with people from different backgrounds has made me grow incredibly. To the point that when I completely adapt to an environment, the idea of changing again intrigues me. The biggest difference in working culture in the US, however, is the almost total lack of worker protection. It doesn’t take much to fire an employee. On the other hand, the amount of opportunities is greater than in any other country and the level of pay/quality of life is much higher. If you are smart you will never have problems having a job and a good lifestyle in Silicon Valley. In Italy, however, I suffered from the lack of meritocracy: a tendency that slows down progress and leads the most able people to move to countries where opportunities and meritocracy prevail.”
Escape of talents A “top level” career that makes one wonder why the area has let its talent slip away. «Perhaps – concludes Giulio – I would have been able to hold a prominent position even in an Italian automotive company, but I am sure that my experiences abroad have made me a much more complete person.
This value is also recognized by companies when they aim to bring talent back from abroad. The underlying problem is that pay and quality of life are higher in England and Germany. Therefore, those returning to Italy have higher salary expectations justified by the inconveniences and risks faced in getting involved elsewhere. Perhaps we still have to learn to have faith in new ideas and in giving responsibility to deserving young people, if we want to open our perspective towards other horizons.”