Felice Alessandro Occhiuto Interview

What are the biggest challenges facing the auto industry?
An important challenge will be the change in the concept of automobile in the mind of the user: from consumer good to multi-service platform meant to satisfy mobility and connectivity needs. This will result in an increase of rental agreements -short-term as well as middle-long term-, and car sharing solutions, especially in the big cities.

Another challenge will be the management of connected cars, with its impact on insurance policies and the auto repair market: there will be a decrease in the number of claims, together with the need of new standard certified car repair procedures. There will be also new legal issues regarding privacy and civil liabilities.

What innovative figure from the auto industry would you have liked to meet?
I would have liked to meet Ferruccio Lamborghini, the founder of the famous company from Sant’ Agata Bolognese, and maybe know the backstory of his friendship with Enzo Ferrari.

What auto industry innovation would you have liked to have invented?
I spend a lot of time driving my car, so I’m very grateful to people who have created and create all the parts that ensure the safety of driver.

What do you think the future of auto repairs will look like?
Mechanical and bodyshop technicians will have to deal more and more with technologically advanced cars; they are going to need specific expertise, training, new advanced tools, more technology, and less improvised repairs.

As a result, many bodyshops will shut down and others will evolve into multi-service centres ensuring customer mobility.

What can be Lever Touch’s contribution in that future?
The customer will always want his car to be fixed quickly and without loss of value.

Lever Touch is already doing that now. At Lever Touch we are ready to operate in this innovative and competitive market because we have the expertise, the technology and the right human resources to do it: fast repairs, guaranteed quality, replacement parts traceability, and customer care.

How did you learn about Lever Touch?
It was 2011, I was a manager at an important Italian Insurance Company and I was planning my first drive-in repair operation for our customers’ hail-damaged vehicles.

What surprised you the most about Lever Touch’s way of working?
In addition to the speed and quality of the repairs, I was impressed by the team spirit, the image of a group of people with great determination to achieve a common goal.

What do you expect from this new step in your career with Lever Touch?
I hope to have a chance, together with the other employees of the company, to make Lever Touch known as an example of excellence in the automotive market.

I believe in the strength of this team, and we intend to do a great job with extraordinary achievements during the next 10 years. A good way to start, I would say.

Change inspires both fear and excitement, and one of our greatest talents is learning to manage both. How would you be able to overcome change?
I think that we need to use our enthusiasm to overcome fear, we have to face change one step at the time, and make sure that too much excitement does not make us lose our touch with reality.

Please add a question for the next interviewee.
Having the right insight can make the difference in a competitive market, but many men with brilliant ideas have failed to make them come true. How important is to work in an international firm like Lever Touch, with employees coming from different areas, to generate new business ideas and get the right tools to shape them into reality?