8:43 am, September 28, 2023
Stellantis UK has appointed Jeep boss Jules Tilstone to head up its premium brands Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles.
Tilstone, pictured, will take on the role on November 1 after the current incumbent, Julie David, elected to retire from the carmaker.
It means Tilstone, a former UK boss of DS, will be in charge as Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles switch to agency sales.
The move to a haggle-free, fixed-price model has been delayed a number of times and is believed to be taking place next year.
Taking Tilstone’s Jeep MD role will be Kris Cholmondeley, who’s currently marketing director for Peugeot.
Replacing Cholmondeley will be Max Bailly, who has been Stellantis UK’s planning director during 2023.
David will retire from Stellantis on October 31 to take ‘another related, career path’, the firm said.
MariaGrazia Davino, group managing director for Stellantis UK, commented: ‘I wish Jules Tilstone, Kris Cholmondeley and Max Bailly every success in their respective new roles.
‘I would also like to thank Julie for her commitment and contribution and wish her every success for her future ventures.’
It’s the latest in a raft of management changes to have taken place at the manufacturer over the past 12 months.
In July, Stellantis UK announced that its chief Paul Willcox would retire and would be replaced by Davino.
In October 2022, Stellantis said the bosses of Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and Abarth, Jeep and Vauxhall would all switch roles, while a new ‘Premium Brands’ division comprising Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles would be created.
That announcement was made at the same time that Stellantis finalised plans to drastically shake up its UK network and axe 138 dealers.
