Sales by Maserati in North America have more than doubled since Jim Selwa took charge with the introduction of highly successful models including the GranTurismo and Quattroporte Automatic.

Jim Selwa, the President and CEO of Maserati North America, is leaving the company just two and a half years years after he first took charge, during which time sales have more than doubled with the introduction of successful new models including the GranSport and Quattroporte Automatic.

In a statement, Maserati CEO Roberto Ronchi said: "Jim Selwa, President and CEO, has decided to pursue other opportunities. Over the past three years, Jim has led the North American operations for Maserati to record growth and new heights. Thanks to Jim and his team, the Maserati business in North America is now more stable than ever."

"In the interim," revealed Ronchi, "I myself along with Raffaele Fusilli, Commercial Director, Maserati SpA, will be managing the North American operations."

Selwa is a motor industry veteran who was appointed on 1st June 2005 to the Trident's top job in North America by the former Alfa Romeo and Maserati CEO Karl-Heinz Kalbfell. 55-year-old Selwa was previously in charge of Rolls-Royce's North American re-launch, which involved building a distribution and dealership network from scratch, once the English prestige brand came under BMW ownership, a job he was also handed by Kalbfell.

His other posts include a spell at Land Rover North America where he served as Vice-President of Marketing a job he took up after a stint as President and CEO of Lotus Cars USA, and before that as the Chairman and CEO of a marketing services company whose clients included the Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley Motor Cars and Volvo. His almost four decade long automotive industry career got underway at Jeep in 1971 following his graduation in business from Oakland University.