Francesca Sangalli Joins The SEAT Design Team

Former Mercedes-Benz senior Color and Trim designer and project leader Francesca Sangalli has taken on a new role as Head of SEAT’s Color & Trim Concept & Strategy department. Sangalli will join Volkswagen Group’s Spanish subsidiary later this month, reporting directly to SEAT design director Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos.

Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, SEAT’s Design director since 2011, pointed out that

“the appropriate choice of materials and colors is a way to differentiate the perceived appeal and high quality of our brand’s vehicles, and Francesca is certainly one of the best international talents in this discipline. We are extremely proud to welcome her experience and excellence to the team.”

The Color & Trim department is a key area within SEAT’s design team as it is responsible for creating the new materials, colors, textures, fabrics, and leathers, among others, that are featured in the Spanish brand’s vehicles. It, therefore, plays an essential role in creating the identity of the products and in the way the brand is perceived in order to respond to the latest trends.

Born in Milan in 1970, Sangalli has a proven track record in the area of design, and more specifically in the development of concepts and creative strategy in the automotive sector.

She leads trends, strategy, and innovation in Colors and Materials Design at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, where she worked for over 16 years before joining SEAT. In addition, she also participated in defining the design philosophy of Mercedes-Benz, Smart, and the sub-brand AMG.

Francesca Sangalli is going to manage SEAT’s Color & Trim Concept & Strategy team, where she will benefit from the experience of the current team leader Jordi Font. Font is going to be responsible for the operational implementation of the design strategy.

Sangalli holds a degree in Architecture, specializing in industrial and interior design, from the Polytechnic University of Milan, where she graduated with honors. Furthermore, she also has an industrial design degree from Brunel University in London and speaks Italian, English, and French.

Francesca Sangalli’s appointment reflects SEAT’s firm commitment to design as a key element for the growth of the company. This year, the brand is concluding its SUV offensive with the SEAT Tarraco and is going to debut the new generation Leon in 2019, two launches that represent a step forward in the company’s design language. Likewise, the arrival of the brand’s first fully electric vehicle in 2020 will also imply a design and technological revolution for SEAT.