Stellantis shakes up executive roles, puts Dodge CEO over Ram Trucks

Stellantis announced a series of executive changes Tuesday, including shifting leadership over the Ram Trucks brand ahead of the upcoming launch of the company's first electric pickup, the 2025 Ram 1500 REV.

The changes mean Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis will add Ram to his responsibilities, and Mike Koval, the current Ram chief, will become head of Mopar for North America, reporting to North America Chief Operating Officer Mark Stewart. Mopar is the company's parts and accessories brand.

Kuniskis has overseen numerous brands during his 30 years with Stellantis and its predecessor companies, and his enthusiasm for the company's muscle car brand shines through during events.

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The company, in its announcement, said, "Kuniskis’ rich understanding of the North American market will contribute to Ram's continued growth plan with a special focus on global expansion."

It wasn't immediately clear what the shift would mean for Mark Bosanac, who was last listed as head of Mopar service, parts and customer care. A message seeking comment was sent to a Stellantis spokesman.

In addition to the changes at Ram and Mopar, Fiat Brand CEO and Global Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois will add French premium brand DS Automobiles to his responsibilities, the company said. He’ll replace Beatrice Foucher, who is set to become chief planning officer.

The company noted that Francois — perhaps best known to U.S. customers for his role in overseeing many of the company's more memorable ad spots, particularly during the Super Bowl — "has extensive experience in brand development and strategic positioning that will benefit both Fiat and DS Automobiles."

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In addition, the company announced that Chief Technology Officer Ned Curic will add research and development to his role, replacing the retiring Harald Wester, the chief engineering officer. Curic's "added responsibility will drive the continued transformation of Stellantis into a sustainable mobility tech company by ensuring alignment between strategic vision and project implementation of the Stellantis (research and development) function," the company said in a news release.

The company announced other leadership changes as well:

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the changes "demonstrate that the diversity of talent and experience inside Stellantis’ Top Executive Team make it possible to adapt our leadership team to address the challenging business environment while continuing the success story that this team has built over the past two and a half years with the focused execution of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan." The Dare Forward plan is the company's business plan, which lays out its goals for electrification and other major changes.

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Tavares also highlighted Wester's tenure with the company: "Specifically, I want to take the opportunity to thank Harald Wester, on the occasion of his retirement, for his professionalism and his leadership as he has guided the company's technological advancements."

The changes, which follow several recent announcements affecting the design team for Jeep, are effective July 1.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: [email protected]. Become a subscriber.