Maserati strengthens sales and marketing leadership

MILAN -- Maserati has hired former Mitsubishi executive Bernard Loire and ex-Nike executive Paolo Tubito to key sales and marketing positions.

Loire, 54, is Maserati's new chief commercial officer while Tubito, 52, becomes chief marketing officer, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles unit said in a news release.
 
Loire, a French national, will be responsible for coordinating Maserati sales worldwide. 

Loire has 30 years of experience in the auto industry, beginning his career at Ford in 1988 before moving to Fiat. He joined the Renault-Nissan alliance in 2002 and became the first CEO of Mitsubishi Europe early in 2019 after the Japanese company, which is now controlled by Nissan, decided to create a new division to manage its European operations.

Tubito, an Italian, will coordinate Maserati's marketing functions in all its global markets. The executive, who was educated in Italy and the UK, rose at Nike to become its vice president for Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Both executives will report to Maserati CEO Davide Grasso, who was also a Nike executive before joining Maserati in July 2019.

Maserati's new leadership is working on a relaunch plan for the brand, which has seen vehicle and earnings sales fall steeply.

Global sales fell 26 percent 19,500 vehicles in the first three quarters of 2019. Maserati posted a 159 million-euro operating loss in the period, compared with a 103 million-euro profit in the same period in 2018.

FCA CEO Mike Manley has said Maserati will return to profit this year after starting a new product offensive. The brand plans to debut 10 new or revised models between 2020 and 2023.

Maserati will outline its plans in May at an event at its headquarters in Modena, Italy.