Chrysler Group CEO Sergio
Marchionne has made his first reshuffle of the U.S. carmaker's senior
management, the announcement coming just days after all outstanding government
loans were repaid and Fiat finally took up a controlling stake. In a parallel to
the metrics that Marchionne introduced to Fiat, Chrysler's slew of senior
managers are being handed a portfolio of responsibilities.
The key change is to the Dodge
brand, where Ralph Gilles is out and Chrysler Canada's Reid Bigland takes over.
Bigland also becomes the head of U.S. sales, replacing Fred Diaz, while retaining his on-going
responsibility for Canadian operations. Meanwhile David Buckingham has been
appointed to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer of Chrysler
Canada where he will report directly to Bigland. Previously, Buckingham was Vice
President - Sales, Chrysler Canada.
Gaining and losing jobs in this reshuffle is Diaz who is now appointed
President and CEO of Chrysler de Mexico, which includes responsibility for Latin
American markets. Diaz, who is relieved of his current U.S. sales
responsibility, will continue in his role in charge of the Ram
truck division.
While Gilles loses responsibility for the Dodge car brand he continues with his
current position as design chief for all the Chrysler Group brands and is now put in charge of
the newly formed Street and Racing Technology (SRT) division which will spread
itself across all the brands and also includes the company's motorsports
activities. Creating the niche SRT unit adds yet another division to the
Chrysler Group portfolio and also evokes close parallels to Fiat's own Abarth
division.
Abarth was originally set up as a sop to the now departed Fiat
brand boss Luca De Meo and isn't an especially financially viable unit; if anything Abarth's
standalone showroom structure in Europe has negated most of the effects of the
traditional concept of a 'halo' brand - to attract consumers' attentions towards
the mainstream models. However since De Meo departed from the Fiat Group to take
up the top marketing position at VW, Abarth has been
downgraded and most of its ambitious plans torn up with
responsibility for the Scorpion's fortunes now added to
the brief of Fiat's CTO Harald J Wester.
Finally Joe ChamaSrour is reassigned to International Operations reporting to
Mike Manley, President and CEO of the Jeep brand who is head of this unit. All
changes are effective immediately.
