Andrea Suppa
Verified Expert in Product Management
Product Manager
Unterhaching, Bavaria, Germany
Toptal member since December 12, 2022
Andrea is a product manager with over 12 years of experience in the automotive, motorsports, consulting, and semiconductor industries across Europe and Asia. He's held multiple senior engineering, business development, marketing strategy, and product development roles focusing on decarbonization through the development of electric vehicles, control systems, and software. Andrea boasts a reputation as a visionary leader, committed to pursuing new challenges and continuous self-improvement.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Business Development
- Business Strategy
- Control Systems
- Electric Vehicles
- Global Product Management
- Marketing Strategy
- New Product Development
- Software Development
Work Experience
Director of Application Management Automotive E-mobility
Infineon Technologies
- Developed the go-to-market strategy for the Traction Inverter application in the EMEA region.
- Supported new business development and sales activities to maximize bill of materials (BOM) revenue generation.
- Implemented microcontroller product management and pricing strategies in the EMEA region.
Marketing, Technology, and Strategy Director, APAC Region
Ricardo Shanghai
- Spearheaded market research and analysis to pinpoint trends and conceptualize strategies for penetrating new market sectors and clients.
- Orchestrated marketing and promotional operations with a focus on cultivating and nurturing existing client relationships.
- Leveraged collected market, client, technology, and competitive insights to optimize R&D strategy, accelerate R&D turnover for specific client solutions to under one year, and define strategic product roadmap for the next 3-5 years.
- Generated brand awareness and captured new clients through the organization of meetings, onsite presentations, and large-scale summits and conferences.
- Overhauled existing marketing strategies to expand market share within the region.
Business Unit Director (APAC) | Global Product Manager (Controls, Software, and Calibration)
Ricardo Shanghai
- Orchestrated B2B new business development and navigated the sales funnel to expand the client portfolio of OEMs/OESs and tier 1 suppliers in the automotive industry.
- Evaluated clients' business and engineering objectives to develop proposals for consulting services and custom turn-key engineering solutions for electrified powertrain applications with a focus on control systems, software, and electronics.
- Navigated sales negotiations and development of project budgets and scope to close contracts with optimal profit margins.
- Focused on value engineering solutions to generate additional revenue. Influenced an increase in a client's initial budget by over 220%.
- Achieved 30 million RMB in sales and oversaw a pipeline with an average annual value of 60+ million RMB.
- Spearheaded the decision-making process for the business unit strategy, including adjustments to products, services, service models, operating strategy (activities, processes, and resources), market strategy, and project margins.
- Earned a promotion to global product manager for controls, software, and calibration products and solutions across all divisions, taking ownership of strategic product direction, business development pipeline management, and R&D investment strategy.
APAC R&D Director
Ricardo Shanghai
- Oversaw R&D investment strategy and the APAC R&D projects portfolio comprising around 10 projects with responsibility for business development, budget, and CAPEX management.
- Directed project management phases with close control over resource allocation and operations monitoring to guarantee execution aligned with deadlines, budgets, and deliverables.
- Invested approximately 3 million RMB on R&D projects and secured ROI opportunities worth over 10 million RMB.
Department Manager and Project Leader, Controls and Software
Ricardo Shanghai
- Directed a multicultural team of 25+ direct reports across the region and oversaw systems engineering, functional safety, simulation, controls, and software.
- Controlled project operations, engineering, and resource allocation for 20-30 powertrain control projects, ensuring compliance with quality, deliverables, schedules, budgets, and client expectations.
- Managed department finance and operations. Supported business development initiatives through technical presentations, proposals, and project budget estimations.
- Expanded the hybrid control system team in China from 5 to 20+ employees, taking full control of recruitment, training, and onboarding.
- Executed over 30 projects in four years and captured annual revenues of over 40 million RMB.
- Achieved over 95% team utilization, the highest in the division.
- Conceptualized and deployed xEV platform software (VICS), building initial consensus with internal and external stakeholders, spearheading the design, and leading all project phases, including design, development, promotion, and sales.
- Increased revenue by 50+ million RMB and reduced software development costs by 60% and software development times by 50%.
Chief Engineer, Hybrid Powertrain Controls
Ricardo Shanghai
- Headed project management phases with a focus on technical deliverables for the development of hybrid powertrains, systems, software, and validation based on the V-Model development lifecycle.
- Managed relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and sales teams.
- Completed more than eight projects for a book value of 60+ million RMB.
Principal Engineer and Technical Lead, Hybrid Systems and Controls
Ricardo
- Coordinated system engineering (design, simulation, analysis) and technical project management for hybrid systems and controls, encompassing software and hardware development, integration, vehicle testing, calibration, and validation.
- Developed functional safety concepts, including hazard analysis, risk assessment, and design failure mode and effect analysis (DFMEA).
- Provided onsite support to a Chinese original equipment manufacturer throughout the entire project development lifecycle, from prototyping to mass production.
Control Systems Engineer
Scuderia Ferrari
- Designed, calibrated, and validated engine and hybrid powertrain control strategies with responsibility for performance, drivability, torque and energy management, fuel and ignition controls, and turbo speed controls.
- Developed and implemented problem root cause analysis and resolution methods and procedures.
- Supported race track activities both onsite and remotely throughout the whole World Championship season.
Hybrid Controls Engineer and Project Leader
Ferrari
- Executed hybrid powertrain control system development for LaFerrari's hybrid control unit, battery management system, motor control, engine management, DCT transmission control unit, electronic stability program, DC/DC, HVAC, HMI, and body computer.
- Directed LaFerrari's powertrain development project with control over planning, execution, prototype testing, system design, software configuration, safety, NVH, and emissions homologation.
- Managed suppliers' engagement, production software release, and customer service support.
Intern
Pure Power Control
- Conceptualized a master thesis titled Design of a Battery Management System for Li-Ion Batteries for Traction of Electric Vehicles.
- Conducted research on the current state-of-the-art technologies and modeling in MATLAB Simulink.
- Carried out comparative analyses; evaluation; algorithm management, including design, development, and validation; estimation of battery state of charge; cell balancing; and aging reduction.
Project History
Ferrari LaFerrari
https://www.ferrari.com/auto/laferrariDeveloped the project and led the powertrain control system activities from the first demo vehicle to production, including after-sales customer assistance.
Vehicle Integrated Control and Simulation (VICS) Platform
https://ricardo.com/news-and-media/webinars/vehicle-and-system-engineering/vics-control-systemDeveloped and led the clean sheet design and commercialization of a platform solution, primarily for Chinese hybrid and electric cars and trucks, with a book value of over 100 million RMB.
The platform has been developed in Stateflow within a Simulink and MATLAB environment, integrating tools developed in C and Python programming languages.
Hanteng X7 PHEV
Led the development of the powertrain control system and software from prototype to start of mass production.
The new hybrid electric system and software allowed for a 40% reduction of fuel consumption and emissions and a 60 km range in pure electric drive. The application software designed for this vehicle was the master controller of the entire powertrain domain.
Education
Global Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) - Shanghai, China
Master's Degree in Automation Engineering
University of Pisa - Pisa, Italy
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science Engineering
University of Pisa - Pisa, Italy
Certifications
Powerful Presentations
Infineon Technologies
APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
APM Association for Project Management
New to Management
Ricardo
Behavior Interviewing Skills
KNX
Communication Tools
Ricardo Shanghai
International Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Bocconi University of Milan
Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
University of Michigan | via Coursera
Introduction to Marketing
University of Pennsylvania | via Coursera
Financial Markets
Yale University | via Coursera
Corporate Finance Essentials
IESE Business School of Barcelona | via Coursera
Introduction to Financial Accounting
University of Pennsylvania | via Coursera
The Power of Microeconomics: Economic Principles in the Real World
University of California | via Coursera
Introduction to Project Management Principles and Practices Specialization
University of California | via Coursera
Advanced Course in Electric Drives for Traction Applications
Ferrari
Safety Systems in High-Voltage Environments
TUV
English Level: Waystage 2
Wall Street Institute
Networks Design and Applications
CISCO
Skills
Tools
MATLAB, Redmine, Mantis, Microsoft Project
Paradigms
Testing
Platforms
SharePoint
Industry Expertise
Financial Markets
Other
Electric Vehicles, Control Systems, Software, Software Design, Business, Marketing, Leadership, Business Strategy, Algorithms, Calibration, Validation, System Design, Project Management, Software Development, English, Communication, Presentations, Management, Sales Pitches, Presentation Design, Feature Roadmaps, Product Strategy, Microsoft Office, General Management, Innovation, Corporate Strategy, Growth Strategy, Data Analysis, Design Validation, Functional Safety, Diagnostics, Resource Management, Portfolio Management, Product Management, Business Development, New Business Development, Business Unit Strategy, Sales, Customer Success, Marketing Strategy, Global Product Management, Go-to-market Strategy, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Product Roadmaps, Dynamics CRM 365, Windows, Programming, Power Electronics, Digital Communication, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Automation, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Finance, Organizational Design, Human Resources (HR), Electronic Sensors, Verification, Recruitment, People Development, R&D, New Product Development, Business Models, B2B Sales Pipeline, Pricing Strategy, Computer Networking, Safety, Motor Control, High Voltage Systems, Economics, Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Negotiation, Organizational Behavior (OB), Interviewing
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