Alexandre
Rumors of an imminent restructuring at Stellantis had been circulating for several days, and now it's official. Late this October 10, the group has issued a press release announcing several major changes to its management teamunder the leadership of Carlos Tavares, to better meet the global challenges facing the automotive industry. The real surprise for Italian car enthusiasts is the change at the helm of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands.
Winds of change at the top
Stellantis, who has known a disappointing first half 2024is reorganizing to maximize its performance in an increasingly challenging global environment. Among the many announcements, two names stand out: Santo Ficili becomes the new CEO of Maserati and Alfa Romeotaking over from Davide Grasso and Jean-Philippe Imparato. This change marks a turning point for these two iconic brands, which are once again headed by an Italian.
Santo Ficili is no stranger to the world. Prior to the creation of Stellantis, he worked for the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group, where he held a number of key positions. His background, closely linked to managing the commercial operations of several Italian brands such as Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Jeep, as well as overseeing Mopar for the EMEA region, gives him an in-depth knowledge of the automotive sector.
Alfa Romeo: evolving leadership
Jean-Philippe Imparato's departure as head of Alfa Romeo is particularly significant. Imparato, who led the launch of the Tonalethe 33 Stradale and the Junioris stepping down to take charge of the entire Europe region, strengthening his influence within the Group (to succeed Carlos Tavares?). This repositioning underlines the importance of European issues for Stellantis in the context of the energy transition.
For Alfa Romeo, this is a strategic change of direction. Santo Ficili inherits a brand in the throes of change, with major challenges to maintain the momentum created by recent models and the launch of the future Stelvio next year. Alfa Romeo must continue to strengthen its position in international markets while remaining true to its sporting heritage.
Maserati: a new era
At Maserati, the change of CEO comes as no surprise. Davide Grassoformer CEO, was the last executive not to be replaced since the creation of Stellantis in 2021. Maserati, despite an ambitious line-up with models such as the MC20In recent years, Grasso's results have been mixed. The replacement of Grasso by Ficili could mark a desire to revitalize the trident brand, particularly in the face of challenges linked to the electrification of its vehicles.
| 2020 – 2022 | 2022 – 2024 | 2024 > | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Monde | Davide Grasso | Davide Grasso | Santo Ficili |
| Global Sales Director | Bernard Loire | Bernard Loire | Luca Delfino |
| Vice President, Europe | Guido Giovannelli | Luca Delfino | Luca Parasacco |
| Vice President, West-Europe | Alessio Izzo | Julien Brunet | Julien Brunet |
| Marketing & Communication Department | Paolo Tubito | Paolo Tubito | Giovanni Perosino |
Alfa Romeo and Maserati return to unified management
What's particularly interesting about this reorganization is the grouping together of the following brands Alfa Romeo and Maserati under the same management. This is reminiscent of the structure in force during the FCA era, before the merger with PSA. This return to unified management could enable the two Italian brands to pool their efforts and create stronger synergies.
Stellantis' ambitions
These changes within Stellantis are part of an overall strategy to simplify and improve the Group's performance. As underlined by Carlos TavaresThe aim of this reorganization is to accelerate the Group's transformation into the leader in clean, safe and affordable mobility. The appointment of Santo Ficili as head of Alfa Romeo and Maserati shows that Stellantis is counting on experienced, Italian leadership to turn around these two luxury brands in an increasingly competitive environment.
The departure of Carlos Tavaresscheduled for early 2026, is also in the pipeline. The Group has confirmed that a process is already underway to find a successor, with a special committee chaired by John Elkann which will complete its work by the end of 2025.
Not sure a change of CEO will make much difference. As if Imparato and Grasso weren't up to the job.
The problem with these two brands is their poor communications, non-existent showrooms and lack of customer loyalty.
Example: an Alfa customer for 20 years and since 2016 (new range) I'm down to 2 Giulias, a Stelvio and a Tonale.
Not a bad way to turn around the brand.
Invitation to the presentation of the Junior in June at my dealership and a small cocktail on a pitiful table (bordering on camping).
Recently asked if it was possible to have 2 entrances to Paris worldwide, nothing.
My wife, who has a thing for Mini, invited me to present the electric Mini at a MINI BMW dealership this winter, with a huge cocktail party complete with waiter, orchestra, etc.
Request from my wife for Mondial entry, during the day, 2 tickets, plus VIP pass for MINI stand.
They don't know how to do it at STELLANTIS, or don't want to.
It's not the price of the tickets (I honestly don't care), it's the principle.
I love Alfa, but when you go into a dealership, it's like Renault. Far, far from premium.
So a common president won't change much.
Bravo for your commitment to turning Alfa around.
We can deplore a non-existent sales policy in which LOA is an abyss, with sales staff incapable of providing customer follow-up. Buying a new Giulia? In my region, salespeople consider you a potential buyer if you have the budget for a GTAm, whereas you've come for a Veloce! I had warned that a Giulia without a sw version would be a mistake. The brand's representatives looked down their noses at me. I don't care, the model sold 250 units after 8 years in France! The share of models sold by Audi, BmW or Mercedes is always greater for estate cars than for sedans. I'm no expert! I read car articles and I'm a brand enthusiast.
In short, when you buy new, they want to sell you a Tonale when you say you're dreaming of a sedan; when you buy used, they offer you a Giulia for €10,000.00 more than a Serie3 Touring hybrid, which will sell for more! How long does it take to sell an Alfa? Several months in my experience. Trade-in price? Ridiculous!
What's next? A new CEO? If it's only to make decisions that keep Alfa as a premium brand, when it's neither the identity nor the history, nor the present in the face of Tesla, nor the future in the face of Chinese brands!
Very well summarized! Experience or recall the past with these mythical cars! I assure you, the Swiss presentation of the Sprint was in the same vein. The passion is gone.
Dealers are no longer given the resources they need, and it shows.
In fact, I've ordered an M3 Touring Competition, tired of waiting for a Giulia SW.
Have a good trip.
I'm more nuanced when it comes to after-sales service, even if my case isn't a general one, and one swallow doesn't make a spring... As an old-school Alfiste, I've had 14 Alfa models since the Alfasud TI in 1979, the last one a Giulia Veloce Q2 that succeeded a Giulia 200 at the end of 2016. During all these years (45 years after all!), I have suffered the horrors of dealers whose amateurism, lack of attention to the customer, prohibitive delays in taking charge and exorbitant prices made the Alfa after-sales service a deterrent. I think things are changing, and while there has been a drastic reduction in the number of sales outlets since the takeover by Stellantis, the quality of service has also improved. That's what I'm seeing with the dealer where I bought my car. 15 years ago, this large dealership in western Paris was the epitome of the garage to avoid. Today, it's night and day: attentive customer care, fast pick-up, cars returned on time, always washed and cleaned, meticulous workmanship. Private reception for customers at the Paris Country Club for the presentation of the Alfa Junior, with petits fours and champagne, and a whole display of vintage Alfa cars, from the Giulia convertible of the 60s to the 2600 Touring and the RZ... For the Salon, tickets offered to loyal customers. We can only congratulate ourselves on the progress made, and hope that all Alfa dealers will follow suit.
However, this won't solve Alfa's fundamental problems, which are caused by constant changes in strategy and a lack of continuity in the construction of a coherent range. BMW's 1, 3, 5 and 7 series, plus SUVs and electric cars, have been around for ages, and the company has built its image on consistency and permanence. Let's not forget that at the end of the 60s, Alfa rivalled BMW with the Giulia TI, which clashed with the BMW 2002... Today, Alfa represents practically nothing for the new generations, and the discontinuity in the ranges confuses customers: models with no descendants (159, 147, Giulietta...), positioning that changes all the time, giving way to SUVs and synergies with the Group's other brands, such as the new Junior, whose styling is, moreover, rather disconcerting in relation to Alfa Romeo's aesthetic codes, great models that have not been sustained over the long term (Giulia, which should have been released as a station wagon and a mild-hybrid version, with, on top of that, the scrapping of the Giorgio platform, a huge waste), a hasty and undoubtedly premature switch to all-electrics...A real headless duck, this is not something that dates back to Stellantis, FCA's management of Alfa has been of the same ilk, one thinks that the brand was still pretty damn strong for not having disappeared a long time ago. Does the latest avatar, the appointment of a new Alfa-Maserati CEO, have any particular significance and call into question the existence of the "premium" division (Alfa, DS, Lancia...) that was presented with such fanfare 3 years ago? Or is it rather the illustration that in the matrix world of Stellantis management, brand CEOs don't have much importance in relation to central industrial or marketing functions? As we can see here, enthusiasts are a little disoriented, but we can't see the emergence of a new category of customer that would send grumpy old Alfisti to the retirement home. So much so that the latter, but also the younger ones, are no doubt having a little trouble imagining what their next Alfa will be like. But I can confirm that the Giulia Veloce is a great car that I intend to make last, even if it won't do the brand any good.
I could not have summarised the problem with Alfa better myself, so thank you. I have been saying that the inconsistency in the line-up has been Alfa's biggest problem for some time now. Instead of constantly refining well-loved cars (like the German premium players), they start afresh because of poor planning and foresight.
The post-Carlos TAVARES era is underway! We have confirmation that he will be replaced after the end of his mandate. As for a single CEO, less close to Carlos TAVARES, for Maserati and Alfa, it makes more sense than anything else to give future models a true Italian soul. There remains the Lancia enigma not mentioned in the article (!!?) 🤔
Two seemingly good things:
1/ the "merger" of Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
2/ Imparato's departure
Well, if the policy remains the same, based on rotten PSA platforms and penny-pinching, it won't make much difference...
If I may say so, I have two people who know Imparato, as well as feedback from people at Alfa Italia, who confirm that he is a good CEO and that he (will) do his utmost for Alfa, with the means he has been given. He's the last person I'd cast a stone at.
Fair enough, but if the maximum possible is Milanior, I'm worried about the future...
He still chose a (misleading) name without checking its viability, while boasting that he was the one to decide. He doesn't seem very humble.
He validated (Oriented?) a design that disappointed/shocked most alfists. It looks just as bad for the future Giulia, which he validated. As I've said before: Alfa Romeo isn't BMW, and they can't afford to turn their backs on their historic clientele.
He made hubuesque sales forecasts for Tonale.
So even though he's done his utmost, he doesn't seem to be the ideal CEO for Alfa Romeo.
We'll have to wait and see.
Yes, but he or someone else doesn't want to learn from the past. Alfa customers have never appreciated motorizations other than those from fca, so the puretoc isn't going to change their minds.
As long as they don't have a boss who also takes care of the service, because frankly, when you go into a Stellantis dealership, you have to be motivated to buy a new Alfa, and when you ask them how they go about updating the gps and multimedia on a €34,000 Giulietta, they don't know.
I completely agree about the after-sales service, which is really THE problem with ex-FCAs.
Rather good news, this alfa/maserati merger
I'm waiting and many others I think, real Alfa to come, real beautiful Italians to follow...
A tonal with a larger-displacement engine. 2 liters. Of Italian origin if possible and a junior ditto.
This Peugeot Fiat marriage calls for a divorce.
Despite its qualities, Alfa doesn't have a strong enough image to stand up to the Germans. What's needed are noble, powerful powertrains and attractive prices, at least initially.
I agree with the comments quoted above, changing CEO if the group's policy remains the same is just giving the impression of doing something when that's not the problem!
I agree with Dan Pico.
You have to love Alfa to buy it.
I own Stelvio q4 bought in 2017 because Alfa fan
Who else knew about Stelvio? No advertising for agents and dealerships widely scattered (100 km fen in my case).
Delivery within 2 minutes, but only after payment of balance cheque just in case.
Worse than buying a van.
2-minute presentation by a salesperson who didn't know the car exactly
Alfa's problem is communication, the absence of which has made it a forgotten brand.
The good news is the departure of Tavares (but in over a year's time). This guy has never understood anything about Italian brands, let alone sports cars.
A cost killer who hasn't understood that putting PureTech everywhere on the one hand, and wanting to impose electric cars on the other, can't work.
We can only hope that Stellantis will be dismantled, because you can't combine French low-range brands like Peugeot and Citroen with the likes of Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
Thank goodness for PSA, otherwise you'd be stuck with the Stelvio and the Giulia. PSA is doing much better than FCA. Luckily there's PSA to relaunch Lancia. So think before you speak, the catastrophic sales of Alfa and Mazerati have nothing to do with PSA. It's all very well to criticize the Fusion, but without it, Alfa wouldn't even exist. How can you sell cars with 2 models? Get it through your head once and for all that it's no longer 1980, Alfa can no longer compare with BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
Tonale is FCA.
Only the Junior is Stellantis, and it's not yet on the market. So your analysis...
The Tonale is a 100% FCA model. Design, platform, engines.
Indeed, the Italian soul must make a comeback. Alfiste is convinced that the delay before the release of the tonal hybrid petrol sport is too long.
Not to mention the poor after-sales service! The choice of "sienna" or red interior leathers offered a touch of Italian design. And the cloverleaf...where are they?
How can you sell cars when you can't see them? There are no showrooms around St Germain en Laye. A dealership has been under construction in Chambourcy for 1 year... Next door, Porsche and Renault dealerships are now open, and we're waiting for Alfa Fiat and, I hope, Lancia? Let's be patient, but patience has its limits and drives away the customer.
Even if there is a change of CEO, Alfa Romeo will unfortunately have Stellantis' chassis, so there will be no change.
In my opinion, the chassis isn't the problem. Having tested the Junior 280 hp electric (on CMP) it's very good. And future Stelvio and giulia on stla large. The debate is more about motorization, design, place of manufacture and maybe the price too... let's see the Stelio in 2025 which will inaugurate the new stla large and stla brain platform, and see if the design will evolve a little from what has been criticized on the junior.
Tavares has managed in the short term especially to get a large salary as do all the big bosses.sui.nf not majority shareholders of Edf .banques Airbus Alstom etc"'
I've been an Alfa Romeo fan for a long time. I have a Giulietta and I'm desperate when I see the current range, no more small sports cars like the Mito, the 147 or the Giulietta. I have to change my car soon but I can't see what to buy from Alfa, I can't imagine getting an SUV like everyone else. Where has "il cuore sportivo" gone? forgotten?
Frankly, we'll have to wait and see, but one thing's for sure: people complain about the lack of sales at Alfa and Maserati, but what's missing is a rational range with coupes and estate cars (for Alfa) ..... The after-sales service is generally deplorable, apart from one garage or another! They want to sell Maseratis with cars that already have an old design! Take a look at BMW, where you'll find everything from Minis to 7-series and X....s. There are coupes, sedans, estate cars, leisure cars and SUVs, and the same goes for Mercedes....finding a Peugeot chassis in a Maserati, even if they're virtually unbeatable in terms of chassis, isn't a very attractive proposition for a buyer! At Alfa, they brought out a Tonale that was already outdated when it was launched, and then they complain! As far as I'm concerned, what's needed is a complete range, and a revised, hand-picked after-sales service, and people will come back!
What if we were to consider a new Giulietta model, somewhere between the Giulia and the SUVs which, in my opinion, have little of Alfa's soul? The Germans have kept the A3 and Golf...
I think the main issue with Stellantis is pricing. For the Italian brands. They may have a storied history, but it's not 1900s anymore.
Lexus can ask for a lot of money, because they source high quality parts for their cars. The Germans can ask a lot of money, because they offer technology not seen in other cars. They pioneer new stuff.
Alfa Romeo and Maserati don't bring anything significant in the industry. Just a fancy badge that has lost relevance. Not every manufacturer needs to have Lexus levels of quality, or the latest tech as the Germans. But each manufacturer needs to find where their products fits in the market
I think Stellantis products offer a nice balance. They're not overly complicated with tech and have decent reliability. So there's a huge market for them.
It is this reason that people are disillusioned by the pricing. Why pay more for a Maserati when Porsche exists? If Maserati would price their cars below Porsche they would steal that market.
It's the same for Alfa Romeo, don't price yourself above Audi or BMW. Just slightly below them.
Another issue with Maseratis is the spare parts. Why on earth are Maserati spare parts more expensive than Toyotas? Let alone Ferrari. Toyota uses very high quality parts on their cars, so they can charge a premium on them. Plus they are very durable.
I always think of getting a Maserati, then I see the spare parts and I quickly stop. Because you can get the same parts from Ferrari or Fiat at 3x lower the price in some cases.
Improving dealer networks has worked magic for Germans. You can get a spare part from BMW for a 1980s E30. Yet you'll have to wait several months to get parts for a Maserati or Alfa that's still in production.
The Germans have known, making parts easily available gets them a slice of the used car market. Boosting up revenues and getting younger people invested in the brand earlier on.
That's why BMW are dominating the North American market. Those teenagers who bought clapped out E36 and E46, are now in a position to afford G80 M3s. In a few years, they'll be able to buy M5s.
Stellantis can change CEOs all they want, but the Italian car brands are not even competing in the automotive industry. They need to realize all there's almost three generations now, that don't care about Alfa Romeo or Maserati's history.
That's why people laugh, when they release statements like we want to compete with Porsche. Not going to happen. Not like this.
They see those brands, and go. Yeah they're cheaply made and unreliable. While Tevares has made a big effort to bring up the reliability of the Italian brands. It's not enough.
They need brands to be competing in the industry once more. If you price your cars above the Germans or Lexus. Nobody will line up to buy them. As much as I love Alfa Romeo and Maserati. They're not on the same level.
Italian brands need to let go of their pride, and adjust their positioning to meet market expectations.
If lowering prices is too painful for their Italian ego, then they need to bring up the quality of their cars to be above that of Lexus and Germans. Not at par, but above. Meaning they should be leaders of innovation to beat the Germans and have better quality than Lexus.
Which means, no more cost cutting and actually invest some proper money into their cars and marketing efforts.
If one of those two things don't happen I don't see a future for Italian automakers or Stellantis as a whole.
The issue is not even competition from the Chinese, but a company that refuses to adapt to market perception of their products.
The cars Stellantis bring to the market, are simply overpriced for what they offer, even with the current state of car prices.
Most of your comments are right. The main thing is that FCA has never invested in Alfa Romeo and when so, has made the wrong choices. Giulia and Stelvio may be extremely rewarding to drive but nobody is buying them, even the so-called brand fanatics . Imparato and Stellantis are just trying to revive the brand with vehicles that will bring sales to sustain the network , at least in Europe. And like it or not, the European market needs hybrid and EVs , fact. As for Maserati, the price may be the issue number one and , so far, the positioning is not clear enough . A Grecale is like super premium when the MC20 and the Gran Truism are luxury. But if Stellantis is ready to invest on the long term, both Brands still have a bright future. I love Porschess but, apart from the 911, they are now pimped VW and way too common.
Fiat being a major player in Stellantis here that needs to be recognised and not penalised in the group for its weakening Brands in Chrysler Jeep Alfa & Maserati.
The 500 Hybrid should of been in the pipeline well before the full electrification of the 500.
John Elkan should had over seen this situation before it played a major role in the groups drop in sales overall. FIAT as the primary sole profit leader in the group needs to be put first. The other brands in the group need to follow on in there own merits not by suffocating FIAT and only then the whole group will regain its former position again. The foundations in FIAT have to be put in order first and only then the group as a whole will do well.
Meine Giulia QV wird ewig rennen. Und mein älterer Quattropporte 4,7 S auch!
Was ist bei Stelantis los?
Ein Fan will etwas hinreißendes.
Leicht. 1000 Kilo 200 kw. mit E-motor. Coupe! ( 228 GT in neu interpretiert.. )
KÖNNT IHR NICHT ODER WOLLT IHR NICHT?
Ich kaufe keinen SUV der für Asserbaitschan oder irgend wo für China. Nein!
Und was kommt, der 1000 und erste SUV. Oder irgendein was mit Dick und schwer.
( ich will keinen Audi-speckbomber oder hirntot Tesla = British leyland North America, und China Bloatware schon gar nicht)!!!!
Wenn die Herrschaften dort im Vorstand meinen, ich kaufe das. Dann haben wir Pech.
Der neue MC LAREN gefällt mir auch.
Diese al glatten leblosen sogenannten Automanager. Die gebrüder Alfieri und co drehen sich im Grab mit 8000 rpms.
Nur noch traurig RIP ALFA ROMEO good by MASERATI 🙂