Stellantis announces (again) new appointments within its Enlarged Europe Organization, effective September 1, as it continues executing its Fastlane 2030 strategic plan.
Reporting to Emanuele Cappellano, COO Enlarged Europe, are now Arnaud Belloni, who has been appointed CEO of the FIAT, Abarth, and Lancia brands and chief marketing officer for Europe; Xavier Chardon, who has been appointed CEO of DS Automobiles, in addition to his current responsibilities for Citroën; Xavier Peugeot, who has been appointed Head of the Jeep brand in Europe, a newly established position reporting directly to Enlarged Europe COO.
This role is designed to give Jeep the levers needed to meet European customers’ requirements and strengthen the brand’s development in Europe across product, marketing, and sales. Roberta Zerbi will focus on Customer Journey Excellence and Network Development.
Commercial operations
As a result, Commercial Operations Enlarged Europe, led by Maurizio Zuares, has been reorganized as follows: Gaetano Thorel has been appointed responsible for Enlarged Europe Lancia, in addition to his current responsibilities for Enlarged Europe FIAT and Abarth, with a functional reporting line to Arnaud Belloni.
Laurent Diot has been appointed responsible for Enlarged Europe DS Automobiles, in addition to his current responsibilities for Enlarged Europe Citroën, with a functional reporting line to Xavier Chardon; Fabio Catone is confirmed as responsible for Enlarged Europe Jeep, Ram & Dodge Brands, with a functional reporting line to Xavier Peugeot.
Commenting on these appointments, Emanuele Cappellano said: “These appointments mark another important step in accelerating the execution of our Fastlane 2030 strategic plan. They establish the foundations for a European marketing vision centered on creativity and innovation, reinforce Jeep’s growth through dedicated leadership, and clarify the positioning of Lancia and DS Automobiles as specialty brands, preserving their distinctive identities while strengthening integration with Fiat and Citroën, respectively.”
Furthermore, at the international level, Stephanie Hartgrove (moving in from Johnson & Johnson) has been appointed Chief Communications Officer for Stellantis Group, and Clara Ingen-Housz has been asked to lead Public Policy & Regulatory Strategy, International Trade.
Belloni in…
Belloni returns to Stellantis, where he previously spent 16 years leading marketing strategy for its Italian and French brands. His positions included Fiat and Lancia Brand Marketing Director, Managing Director of Lancia France, and Vice President of Marketing for Asia Pacific.
From 2015 to 2020, he served as Citroën’s Global Chief Marketing Officer for Communications and Sports, where he launched the ‘Citroën – Inspired by You’ brand strategy, transformed the customer experience through digital and retail concepts such as ‘la maison Citroën’, and led a broad product launch portfolio. Under his leadership, Citroën delivered eight consecutive years of sales growth in Europe and became France’s most preferred automotive brand.
He rejoins Stellantis from Renault Group, where he served as global chief marketing officer beginning in November 2020 and as chief branding officer for all the group’s brands beginning in May 2023.
“We are delighted to welcome Arnaud back to Stellantis. His global perspective, creative leadership, and deep knowledge of our brands will be invaluable assets, as we strengthen marketing across Europe and shape the next chapter for Fiat, Abarth, and Lancia,” said Cappellano.
…François out
Belloni’s predecessor, Olivier François, made contributions across several Stellantis brands, bringing expertise in business operations, sales, marketing, brand development, and strategy.
During his more than 30-year tenure, he held a series of senior leadership roles, including CEO of Chrysler, Fiat, Abarth, DS Automobiles, and Lancia, as well as global chief marketing officer.
Throughout his career, François played a pivotal role in shaping brand strategies and crafting award-winning advertising campaigns worldwide. Olivier François will support Belloni through mid-October to ensure a smooth transition and will continue to support Stellantis as a strategic advisor to the Company.
Despite his lifelong career at Fiat, FCA, and Stellantis, François has apparently been kindly asked to leave. After the reign of Carlos Tavares and the interim leadership of John Elkann, heir of the Agnelli family, the new Stellantis CEO, Antonio Filosa, has been managing a big reorganization and cleaning operation which now seems to be coming to an end with the full implementation of the ‘FaSTLAne 2030 strategy’ and the repositioning of many players.
Over the past 30 years, François has been a consistent presence at this Company and its predecessors, even in turbulent times. Now, his time has also come, not without a goodbye from the new big boss: “On behalf of the entire Stellantis team, I want to thank Olivier for his many years of outstanding contributions and leadership across our brands and marketing organization. We wish him every success in his next career chapter and look forward to continuing to benefit from his experience and expertise as a strategic advisor to our Company.”
