Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announces leadership changes that are effective immediately. Daphne Zheng will be the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Fiat China.
Zheng has previously worked in various sales and marketing positions with Fiat Chrysler in China and has been with the company for more than eight years. She recently served as Guangzhou Automotive Group's (GAC) Managing Director of the Sales Joint Venture in China.
FCA also appoints Paul Alcala to be the Chief Operating Officer of the Asia Pacific region. He is named COO in regions in the Asia Pacific, excluding China.
Alcala is a 29-year veteran of Fiat Chrysler, and recently served as the head of GAC's China Developments for the Manufacturing and Sales Joint Ventures in China. Alcala has previously held a number of operational leadership positions in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.
FCA said that Mike Manley, who ran Asia Pacific region and one of the company's highest-ranking executives, will no longer oversee the automaker's Asia Pacific region but will retain his duties to lead Fiat's brands like Jeep and Ram and will remain one the company's Group Executive Council.
The council will now have 20 members, including the newly appointed Daphne Zheng and Paul Alcala, and Fiat Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne. The CEO thanked Manley for building a strong foundation for the company in his five-year period in office as head of Asia Pacific regions, telling him to focus on the most important brands of the company.
Marchionne guaranteed remunerative activities for Manley's position in the future as the company plans to launch the all-new Jeep Compass this month, and the new Wrangler at the end of 2017. The all-new Jeep pickup, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, and the new Ram 1500 will be available in years after 2017.
Mike Manley remains as one of the top candidates to replace Marchionne as FCA CEO. Marchionne confirmed on Monday at the Detroit Auto Show that he will retire at the end of 2018.
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