Stellantis appoints Arnaud Belloni to lead FIAT, Abarth and Lancia

For most families, September means going back to school. For Stellantis, however, the start of the month brings a reshuffle among the leaders of several of its brands.

The changes form part of a series of appointments within the company’s Enlarged Europe organisation, announced by Stellantis as it implements its ‘FaSTLAne 2030’ strategic plan. Among the most significant moves is Arnaud Belloni’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the FIAT, Abarth and Lancia brands.

Alongside leading the three Italian marques, Belloni will become Stellantis’s new Chief Marketing Officer for Europe. The French executive will report to Emanuele Cappellano, Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe.

A return to Stellantis

Belloni’s appointment is, in effect, a return to the company. He previously spent 16 years at Stellantis, holding a variety of roles in marketing and brand management.

His past positions included Marketing Director for FIAT and Lancia, Managing Director of Lancia France, and Vice-President of Marketing for the Asia-Pacific region.

He returns to Stellantis after a spell at the Renault Group, where he had been Global Chief Marketing Officer since November 2020. In May 2023, he also took on the role of Brand Director for all the group’s brands.

“We are very pleased to welcome Arnaud back to Stellantis. His global perspective, creative leadership and deep understanding of our brands will be invaluable assets,” said Cappellano.

Olivier François becomes strategic adviser

Belloni replaces Olivier François, who will oversee the handover until mid-October before continuing to support Stellantis as a strategic adviser to the company.

François steps down from the leadership of the three brands after a 30-year career in the automotive industry. During that time, he held several senior positions at Chrysler, FIAT, Abarth, DS Automobiles and Lancia, as well as serving as Stellantis’s Global Chief Marketing Officer.

Antonio Filosa, Chief Executive Officer of Stellantis, thanked François for “the many years of remarkable contributions and leadership”, wishing him every success in this new stage of his career. “We look forward to continuing to benefit from his experience and expertise as a strategic adviser to our company,” he added.

What will change

Belloni’s arrival is part of a wider restructuring of Stellantis’s European organisation.

Xavier Chardon will also take charge of DS Automobiles, adding it to his existing leadership of Citroën, while Xavier Peugeot will become head of Jeep in Europe. Roberta Zerbi, meanwhile, will focus on customer experience and network development.

In commercial operations, Gaetano Thorel will take responsibility for Lancia in Europe in addition to FIAT and Abarth, reporting functionally to Belloni. Laurent Diot will oversee DS Automobiles alongside Citroën. Finally, Fabio Catone will lead the Jeep, Ram and Dodge brands in Enlarged Europe, reporting to Peugeot.

According to Cappellano, these appointments “lay the foundations for a European marketing vision focused on creativity and innovation”, strengthen Jeep’s growth “through dedicated leadership”, and clarify the positioning of Lancia and DS Automobiles “as specialist brands”. They will preserve their individual identities while reinforcing integration with FIAT and Citroën respectively.