From Ancestral Gears to Electric Frontiers: APMA President Flavio Volpe Takes Us on a Visual Voyage through Heritage and Automotive Innovation.
BY GIOVANNA G. BONOMO
October, 2024
They say you’re going the wrong way, that you’re headed toward a dead end. But you won’t find Flavio Volpe or his ancestors veering off track. For generations, the Volpe family has proven through action, not words, that if there’s a dead end, they’ll find a way around it, over it, or through it. In this exclusive interview, Flavio gives us a look through his rear- view mirror, revealing the heritage that shaped him and the influences that drive him and his family to turn the impossible into reality.
THE BEDROCK
In 1902, Flavio Volpe’s great-grandfather Leonardo Liscio arrived in Toronto from Puglia, with little more than hope in his pockets and determination in his heart. By day, Leonardo laid tracks for the Toronto Transit Commission; by night, he toiled at General Electric.
With every rail placed, memories of Italy raced through his mind. His sweat and sacrifice weren’t just for personal gain; they were seeds planted in Canadian soil, growing into a legacy spanning generations.
Leonardo’s home became the first expropriated to build Toronto General Hospital in 1911 when he went back to Italy. This marked a poignant intersection of personal history and national progress - a theme that would echo through Flavio Volpe’s own life. It reminds us how immigrant stories often form the bedrock of a nation’s growth.
Little did Leonardo know that his sacrifices would spark a flame of ambition in his descendants. This would transform a humble immigrant’s dream into a legacy of innovation and leadership that continues to shape the nation today.
The next chapter of this immigrant saga unfolded with Flavio’s parents. His father, Joseph Volpe, arrived in Canada in 1955 as a seven-year-old boy from Monteleone, a picturesque southern Italian hilltop town. His mother, Mirella DePersis Volpe, came over in 1963 from the ancient Latin city of Veroli. Joseph, initially working as a teacher, became involved in community events and political rallies. “At some point, we go from voters to representatives,” Flavio notes, recalling his father’s transition into politics.
Volpe’s political career was impressive by any measure. He served as a seven-term Member of Parliament, eventually becoming Minister of Human Resources and, “in a poetic twist that
wasn’t lost on the family, Minister of Immigration,” Flavio says with a smile. The dinner table in the Volpe household was unlike typical families. It was often a place where big ideas were discussed. “Dinner time, when he was home, was about the impossible, our duty to each other and Canada’s place in this world,” Flavio remembers.
Joseph’s journey from immigrant child to respected Member of Parliament was the early imprinting Flavio needed to understand the opportunities Canada offers and the tenacity of those who seize them, instilling in Flavio a deep sense of civic duty and public service, values that would later inform his own career choices.
While Mirella was the cornerstone of the family, her place wasn’t in the home. It was in the community. After a brief bout of homesickness, she found her footing at Oakwood Colle- giate, embarking on a lifelong mission to uplift her St. Charles Borromeo parish community she raised her children in. Her leadership was innate and unwavering; from PTA chair to Neighbourhood Watch organizer to political campaign manager, Mirella became the community’s anchor - a surrogate mom and big sister to all. Despite leaving her insurance com- pany management role to raise four children, her ambition never waned.
At 38, with her children in school, she returned to university, graduating Summa Cum Laude while her kids navigated high school. She challenged her family - which included her husband, the local Member of Parliament - to match her drive.
Her expectations were clear: her children would serve, lead, and learn from her every example. This remarkable woman balanced warmth with firmness, leaving an indelible mark on all she uplifted through her compassionate spirit.
Her actions left a profound impact on Flavio. With every cause she supported and mission fought, she planted in him a deep appreciation for his cultural heritage and the importance of giving back and making an impact. Flavio is well-known for his gift for metaphor and anecdote, allowing him to articulate complex ideas with ease. But when we unwrapped mamma Mirella’s story, the polished words gave way to a more vulner- able side of the automotive leader.
In searching basements and opening boxes for this story, boxes that haven’t been opened in decades, and finding lost photos that recount his childhood and parents’ immigration story, Flavio’s verbal finesse sputtered. “At 14, my mom moved to Canada from Veroli,” Flavio explains, “Veroli, this ancient Latin city predating Rome by at least half a millennium.”
Flavio takes out a picture of his 9-year-old mom. “My mother’s father left for Canada in 1955 when she was 7, and she did not see him again until she was 14—when she arrived here in 1963. I found this cute but heart-melting picture card of her that she sent him from Italy when she was 9. Poverina (poor girl).” The note read: “Dear daddy, I’m sending you lots of kisses from mommy, and me, your daughter, the one in the photograph — Mirella.”
But life didn’t get easier when she reunited with her father in Canada. “She arrived in a city that was cold in every sense – climatically harsh, linguistically foreign, and emotionally isolating. But she refused to be a victim. She channeled these new challenges into fuel for her personal growth. She didn’t just make a life for herself here; she became a pillar of our community. She always told me, ‘Never forget where you came from, but always look forward to where you can go.’” These words would become a mantra for Flavio, guiding him through the challenges and triumphs that lay ahead. In fact, in a conversation with Flavio’s father, the Honorable Joseph Volpe, he confessed that “Flavio not only takes after his mother but inherited all that was great about her.”
Though Mirella was an avid supporter of her husband’s political career, she didn’t sit idly by. “They would straighten each other out—she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion. If you don’t, you become curvy,” Flavio said. “It’s about drawing strength from both sides, both cultures, blending the passion of our Italian roots with the innovation and openness of Canada.” This ability to bridge two worlds would prove invaluable in his career and as what he calls his “most important role,” as a proud Papà of four.
Flavio then found another photo, one that he had been searching for decades, but that he had thought was lost forever. It’s of the pivotal moment in 1986 when 10-year-old Flavio got inside the Ferrari Testarossa. “It was the greatest day of my life to that point,” Flavio recalls. “I was 10, and that moment was when I became an incorrigible car guy. It’s the photo that brings me to where I am today, the photo that I always talk about but could never find until today.”
Building on Flavio’s early experiences, his passion for automobiles grew alongside his ambition. His drive caught the attention of Sergio Marchionne, the Italian-Canadian CEO who famously turned around Fiat and saved Chrysler during the 2008 crisis.
Marchionne’s warm encouragement proved pivotal for Volpe, bridging his Italian heritage with Canadian opportunities. Marchionne’s unexpected passing in 2018 left a legacy of bold leadership in the automotive industry.
Much is said about Sergio Marchionne, but how did you see him?
VOLPE: Sergio’s worldview and work ethic inspired me. What people think about Sergio [Marchionne] is different from who he really was. They think he was hard-nosed, cynical, driven by numbers, a guy who didn’t suffer fools. But the other part of the story was his great affinity for his two homelands.
His love for Italy was evident in how strongly he felt about saving Fiat - and he did save Fiat. When they took over Chrysler in 2008, he publicly admonished the government here about the cost of making cars competitively in Canada. But he favored keeping the Windsor plant and the Brampton assembly plant. Without him, we would have lost both. I think people understood.
How would you describe his impact?
VOLPE: Marchionne,was the wall that kept us from getting flooded. We were all his proteges in a way. When he passed away suddenly, it shocked everyone. He left a real vacuum, and people came to me asking what I thought. Since then, I’ve felt that we’ve forgotten about him. As a community, we tend to move on to the next thing, but in North America, he is better regarded than in Italy. He had to make tough decisions. Today, I sponsor scholarships in his name to honor his legacy.
What did you admire most about him?
VOLPE: Here’s a kid from Orvieto, whose mother lived at Villa Colombo (an ethno-specific long-term care facility that provides 24-hour nursing care services to the Italian-Canadian population), who became the last CEO of Ferrari to win championships. He was incredibly generous with his time, especially with me.
Out of curiosity, what is a visionary?
VOLPE: A visionary is someone who can see the entire field when everyone else is looking at the ball.
<There was a moment of silence as the implication sank in. Flavio suddenly understood the question.>
VOLPE: Thank you. The public saw how he gave me time, and I used that time to help secure what we have here in Canada. I took his act of sticking his neck out as motivation to wake up every day and fight for the Canadian automotive sector.
<Now, with Volpe’s voice tinged with humble appreciation, we moved on to the next picture: The unveiling of Project Arrow: Canada’s first all-electric, zero-emission concept vehicle at the 2023 Canadian International AutoShow. The car that shouldn’t exist, but does.>
Flavio’s journey through Canada’s auto- motive industry culminated in his role as President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), where he witnessed a pivotal moment in the sector. The Canadian automotive industry stood ata crossroads, rapidly evolving with an increasingemphasis on sustainable transportation solutions.The catalyst came in the form of Prime Minister Trudeau’s call for a Zero-Emissions future by2050.
Flavio, driven by ambition and a vision for Canada’s future in the automotive world, set outto prove that every single aspect of a car couldbe built in Canada. This led to the birth of the “impossible” project dubbed “Arrow.” Initially, Project Arrow was met with skepticism and resistance. Many industry veterans, including some of Flavio’s childhood heroes, dismissed the project as impossible. However, Flavio remained undeterred.
Drawing on the political acumen he gleaned from his father, the determination he inherited from his mother, and the “do the impossible” mindset instilled during childhood dinner table discussions, Flavio assembled a team of innovative engineers and designers to prove Canada’s capabilities. Against all odds, Flavio and his team successfully produced Project Arrow, Canada’s first all-electric, zero-emission concept vehicle.
The unveiling of the 20-million dollar concept car at the 2023 Canadian International AutoShow became a moment of national pride, demonstrating that Canada has what it takes to compete in the global automotive industry. Project Arrow is more than just a technological marvel; it is a symbol of Canada’s potential in the green economy . Under Flavio’s leadership, the APMA helped generate over $500 million in sales for Canadian parts makers, proving that innovation can and does drive economic growth.
How did you present your ‘unrealistic’ vision to your team?
VOLPE: I told my team, ‘We’re not just building a car. We’re crafting Canada’s future in the global automotive industry.
The development of Project Arrow was fraught with challenges, how did you traverse this period?
VOLPE: People argued that Canada lacked the infrastructure and expertise to compete with established electric vehicle manufacturers. There were days when it felt like we were pushing a boulder uphill. But then I’d remember my parents’ journey, how they built a life from nothing in a new country. My mother going from not seeing her father for years, to coming here and feeling totally isolated. If she could come out of that, we could build this car.
What was going through your mind while standing on stage, presenting Project Arrow at the 2023 Canadian International AutoShow?
VOLPE: Ithoughtbacktothatdayin1986whenIfirstlaideyeson the Ferrari Testarossa. In that moment, I felt more than just pride for having introduced Canada’s first 100% Canadian-made and electric vehicle. I felt the culmination of my parents’ dreams, the fruition of Marchionne’s encouragement, and the realization of Canada’s potential in the automotive world and my place in it.
A proud Father of Isabella, Alessandro, Tazio, and Leo, Flavio reflects on the intersection where heritage meets innovation and how to pass this sense of dual-identity pride and patrimony to the next generation. “I want my kids to understand where they come from,” he says. His voice filled with passion. “To be proud of their heritage, but also to recognize the opportunities they have here in Canada. And most importantly, to understand that with those opportunities comes a responsibility to give back, to innovate, to lead.” This philosophy isn’t just words; it permeates every aspect of the Volpe household, from his son Alessandro’s place on Italy’s national baseball team to Flavio’s own position as the Canadian ambassador to the Italian Baseball Federation.
“In my own way, I’m trying to maintain cultural links. I’m the Canadian ambassador to the Italian Baseball Federation. This year we hosted the Under-18 girls’ national softball team and organized their travel, hotel, got them access to the best training facility in Canada and ran an exhibition series against six of the best teams in Canada in preparation for their World Cup appearance in China. For me, baseball is that little bridge back to Italy that hopefully will maintain a cultural link.”
Recently named a Member of the Order of Canada, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, Volpe remains humble, giving public credit to his first mentors, his parents, saying: “If I have accomplished anything of note, it’s because those two kids from Italy decided to love Canada and the family they built here, together.”
Credits:
Featured image @hbcreativephotos