Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • Munich Auto Show
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Technology
    • Segment Analysis
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
    • Browse photos from the 2021 awards ceremony
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
    • TUV Rheinland: Battery testing center for large battery packs and more
    • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
    • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automakers
May 13, 2019 02:01 AM

Fiat Chrysler recruits outsiders as Manley reshuffles

New talent a testament to automaker's progress

Vince Bond Jr.
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    Cooperation could cut costs as the market shifts, Manley says.

    DETROIT — Sergio Marchionne's management team at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was a jumble of executives from the two automakers he mashed together, many with crisscrossing responsibilities and multiple job titles.

    Since succeeding Marchionne as CEO last summer, Mike Manley has largely untangled FCA's organizational chart, delegated critical duties and given its leadership council several calculated infusions of new blood, inviting fresh perspectives from veterans of rival automakers and even Amazon.

    Former Infiniti chief Christian Meunier became the latest outsider to join Manley's crew last week, taking over as global president of Jeep at a time when the SUV brand is intent on growing its presence overseas. Meunier brings a seasoned global view of the industry from stints at Ford, Land Rover and Nissan.

    He arrived five months after Mark Stewart, a veteran of Amazon and the maker of the Snapchat app, became COO of FCA's North America region, a job that Manley took shortly before Marchionne died last summer.

    While Meunier and Stewart settle in, FCA has to fill another prominent opening after the retirement of Steve Beahm, the North American head of Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Mopar.

    Manley has made plenty of in-house promotions, including bigger jobs for Tim Kuniskis and Reid Bigland in recent months, but he also has shown a desire to shake things up by placing outsiders in key roles. And his ability to woo successful executives from elsewhere is a testament to how far FCA has come in the decade since its bankruptcy filing.

    ‘Outside perspective'

    "I see the value of outside perspective for FCA, as for other companies being in an industry which is at an inflection point fueled by an autonomous, connected, electric future," Bernardo Bertoldi, a professor at the University of Turin who wrote a case study about FCA's management structure, said in an email. "FCA is now clearly able to attract talents who are willing to work for a strong company in an industry which is back, vibrant and interesting."

    After Marchionne's death in July, Bertoldi expected Manley to put his own leadership team in place, but one that would represent an evolution of Marchionne's operation rather than a reset.

    "In the long run, the culture is more important than the strategy, and the leadership group must be modeled to business requirements," Bertoldi said last week. "I think that the 'culture of the house' will be the key element for the performance of FCA."

    Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst for IHS Markit, said promoting executives only from within can lead to blind spots. Going outside the ranks to augment the leadership team with other viewpoints can help balance the talent developed from within, she said, but something FCA had done rarely during Marchionne's tenure.

    "It doesn't necessarily mean that what they have been doing is wrong," Brinley said. "If you think about continuous improvement, and if you think about how things can always get better, sometimes one way to help that happen is getting an outside voice."

    ‘Interesting choice'

    Dealers say Meunier's global experience should be an asset as Jeep, an American staple, looks to boost its performance abroad — particularly in China. Meunier was with Nissan since 2002, revamping the Nissan Division's marketing structure and giving its U.S. regional sales operations more decision-making authority before moving over to Infiniti, but he had been in the luxury brand's top job only since January.

    Wes Lutz, who owns Extreme Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Jackson, Michigan, said Meunier was an "interesting choice" to run Jeep.

    "I think that the international experience is going to bode well for that position," Lutz said. "As a corporation, we need to get that brand viable and selling well all over the world."

    China will be a challenge for Meunier. Jeep is FCA's leading brand in the world's largest vehicle market but, like many competitors there, it's facing increased pressure.

    FCA's sales last year in China declined 28 percent to 209,000 vehicles while revenue slid 17 percent to $3 billion.

    Michael Dunne, CEO of ZoZo Go, a consulting firm that advises American companies on China, said Jeep is struggling in that country because of branding and its decision to pursue the mainstream market instead of the luxury segment, which has been more robust and stable.

    FCA began China production of the Jeep Cherokee in October 2015, followed shortly after by the Jeep Renegade. More recently, it added production of the Jeep Compass and China-specific Jeep Commander/Grand Commander while continuing to import the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

    Dunne says a smarter play would have been to lead with the Grand Cherokee, which is considered a luxury vehicle, and go downmarket rather than up. Jeep also is behind regarding development and deployment of all-electric vehicles, which China has made a priority for automakers in the country.

    "China is a challenging space," Brinley said, "and it's interesting because Jeep has been there for a long time. One of the challenges that automakers are facing in China is that as the market matures and that buyer matures, you have to start to understand that buyer a little more carefully."

    Michael Wayland contributed to this report.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Renault to invest $377 million in Brazil
    Recommended for You
    Renault
    Renault to invest $377 million in Brazil
    Aston Martin Valkyrie
    Aston Martin draws investor interest from Saudi Arabia, report says
    Lamborghini Urus offroad
    Lamborghini to invest at least $1.8B in path toward electrification, report says
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Munich Auto Show
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Technology
      • Segment Analysis
      • Cars & Concepts
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress
      • ANE Rising Stars
      • ANE Eurostars
        • Browse photos from the 2021 awards ceremony
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
        • TUV Rheinland: Battery testing center for large battery packs and more
        • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
        • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us