Stellantis Restructures Leadership for Electric Future in Middle East

Introduction

As companies witness ground-breaking evolutions in mobility and embrace large-scale electrification in the wake of being resilient to the dire aftermath of climate change and depletion of exhaustible resources, it has demanded policy, strategy, and leadership team overhauls in their organisation structures. To shape the future of mobility in the Middle East and secure an optimistic 22% market share in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, Stellantis has rejigged its leadership team. The consortium will be focusing on new-age American and European brands to drive the change and work towards solid growth avenues as cited by it.

New Leadership Appointments

Frano Šušnjar - Group Managing Director for Middle East

Sitting at the perch is Frano Šušnjar, Stellantis’ newly appointed Group Managing Director for the Middle East.

Rakesh Nair - Managing Director of American Brands

Rakesh Nair, who served for a considerable period as the Managing Director of European brands, will now be taking charge of operations as the Managing Director of American brands. His key role will focus on:

• Launching befitting models from Jeep, RAM, Dodge, and Chrysler brands.
• Focusing on and launching electric models from these brands’ fleets.

Neeraj Kumar - Managing Director of European Brands

To fill the void for Managing Director of European brands, Neeraj Kumar, the current Head of Business Development, will be positioned in this new role. He will play an indispensable role in enhancing the presence of European models in the Middle East, particularly focusing on EVs from Peugeot across passenger and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segments.

Adis Omeragic - Head of Business Development

The new head of Business Development is Adis Omeragic, who has surged from Regional Network Manager. He will work with the revised team framework to:

• Capitalize on regional opportunities.
• Build healthy relations with financial stakeholders.
• Launch the complete Stellantis group models.

Dare Forward 2030 Strategy

In September this year, the group announced its Dare Forward 2030 strategy for Middle East and Africa (MEA), which includes a comprehensive plan to achieve a 22% market share in the region and gain the number 1 position in terms of volume by 2030. Key highlights of the strategy include:

• Transitioning to 100% battery-powered products.
• Increasing regional production autonomy from 25% to beyond 70%.
• Achieving an industrial capacity of 1 million vehicles per year by 2030.

Brand Portfolio and Future Outlook

Changing its nomenclature from FCA to Stellantis, the group includes several brands such as:

• Abarth
• Alfa Romeo
• Chrysler
• Citroën
• Dodge
• DS Automobiles
• Fiat
• Jeep
• Lancia
• Maserati
• Opel
• Peugeot
• Ram
• Vauxhall
• Free2move
• Leasys

Many of these brands have established a presence in the Middle East, facilitating their growth. The modern-age cars produced by Stellantis are known for their visually striking appearance, advanced technology, robust build quality, and above-average performance and fuel economy. As the group embarks on a fully green future, it will be interesting to see the innovative products launched in the Middle East and whether early-mover advantages lead to significant pay-offs. To seize the ambitious 22% market share, the products must offer great value for the money spent while being competitively priced to compete with other brands. The new leadership team has its work cut out for itself.