THE DIRECTORS TELL THEIR STORIES

The March issue of SDF Inside opens with an analysis of the commercial landscape that lies ahead. We spoke to our Chief Commercial Officer, Alessandro Maritano, to find out more about the year just ended and to understand which markets are key and what challenges we will face in 2026.Alessandro, you are the Commercial Director for the entire Group, as well as a member of SDF’s Board of Directors. Tell us a bit about yourself: how did you come to hold this position, and what were the key stages of your career before joining SDF?

Alessandro, you are the Commercial Director for the entire Group, as well as a member of SDF’s Board of Directors. Tell us a bit about yourself: how did you come to hold this position, and what were the key stages of your career before joining SDF?

Since 1997, the year I completed my university studies, my career has unfolded across various contexts and geographical areas, always within the agricultural mechanisation sector.

My career development has been deeply rooted in the ‘field’: I started out in operational roles, gradually taking on increasing responsibilities as Area Manager and Market Manager, before going on to manage entire continents, eventually rising to the position of Vice President and Global Sales Director.

These roles have given me the opportunity to live and work in various countries – including the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Brazil – engaging with markets characterised by very different approaches and cultures.

Today, at SDF, I aim to draw on both the practical experience I have gained over the years in the field and the broader perspective I have acquired, with the aim of guiding the commercial strategies of a global group.

Let’s start with an overview: what sort of year was 2025 for SDF? What image best sums up the year just ended?

Despite a market clearly in difficulty, we ended 2025 by gaining market share across all European markets, demonstrating that SDF currently has an edge: we have, in fact, become market leaders in countries such as Italy and Portugal, achieving the highest market shares in our history across much of Europe.

These results are the fruit of decisions made ten years ago: our investments in India and Turkey, in terms of both product and market, now make us extremely competitive and allow us to operate in the market with a level of effectiveness we did not previously possess.

If I had to think of an image that sums up 2025, I’d choose the launch of the Series 8 at Agritechnica: seeing a constant queue of people waiting to climb into the cab and experience this new tractor was incredible. This completely changed people’s perception of who we are and the technology we can offer.

Finally, 2025 was the year in which we began to reap the rewards of our activities in the ‘International Region’ (all countries outside Europe). We are talking about entire continents where the potential for growth in arable land and the improvement of yields through increased agricultural mechanisation offer enormous scope for development. Investment in SDF’s people and infrastructure, together with the recent openings of sales offices in Mexico, Tanzania and South Africa (the latter having just been established and not yet officially opened), are a clear reflection of our strategy and global vision.

Let’s take a closer look at our own market. The Italian market ended 2025 on a strong note. What are the expectations for this year?

Italy remains a key market for us. We have secured the top spot for tractor registrations as a Group, and this is an achievement that makes me particularly proud. In 2020, we made a clear promise to our Italian dealers: we were aiming for the top, and now we’ve got there.

For the current year, the aim is to consolidate this leading position. We want to continue investing in our close relationship with our sales network and in innovation, because we know that Italian farmers are extremely demanding and knowledgeable. Being the market leader here means demonstrating every day that our products are up to the toughest challenges.

Looking beyond Italy, what global challenges lie ahead for us in 2026?

Our top priority for 2026 is to consolidate the market share we have gained. We do not simply want to maintain our current figures, but to raise the bar: we aim to strengthen our leadership in the viticulture sector by integrating our range of premium products even more effectively with the Grégoire and VitiBot ranges. We want customers to see SDF as a global partner capable of offering comprehensive technological solutions for the vineyard.

Furthermore, we believe our dealers should be even more involved in order management. The aim is to achieve shared planning that enables us to be faster and more accurate in our deliveries, leading to better production management at the factory.

We are bridging the gap between ourselves and those who work the land, reaching farmers directly through digital tools such as apps. The digitalisation that has already taken place in production processes is now extending across the entire supply chain to bring us ever closer to our customers.

2026 is also the year of EIMA International in Bologna. Are there any new developments in store?

In recent years, EIMA has established itself as one of the two most important international trade fairs in Europe (alongside Agritechnica), attracting over 350,000 visitors from 150 countries. EIMA 2026, which will take place from 10 to 14 November, will be our main showcase and the key ‘highlight’ to round off the second half of the year – a trade fair at which we have planned to unveil many new products.

I can already reveal that this will be the edition at which we will present the largest number of new models and updates ever seen. We have made a deliberate choice: we will devote very little space to existing models in our range that do not represent a new development. We want all attention to be focused on our massive renewal programme.

The centrepiece of our stand will be the medium- and high-power ranges. The aim is clear: we want to replicate in this segment the same path to success and the same recognition that we have already achieved with our specialised tractors. The technological context is different, but the spirit is the same. We want to offer customers and visitors a unique brand experience, built on our core values: efficiency, quality, performance and reliability. All of this with a single ultimate goal: our customers and their needs are at the heart of everything we do.

What message would you like to convey to all your colleagues at SDF?

The message is one of confidence and practicality. The budget is our compass, but it is the people who set the needle in motion. Every area of the company plays a crucial role: from Production to R&D, right through to Marketing in support of Sales. 2026 calls for teamwork and determination. We have the products, we have the strategy and we have a motivated sales network; now it is up to us to turn these elements into tangible successes, setting our sights firmly on the goals we have set ourselves.