Chrysler announced Monday that Reid Bigland, the automaker's U.S. chief of sales, will take over leadership of the luxury brand Alfa Romeo in North America.
Retaining his position as head of U.S. sales and CEO for Chrysler Canada, Bigland will be heading Alfa Romeo as Fiat works to re-establish the brand in the U.S. following its return after nearly 20 years, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Bigland began working at Chrysler in 2006 to head its Canadian operations.
"The addition of Alfa Romeo to his portfolio of responsibilities is an indication of how committed we are to the establishment of this brand in North America," CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a statement.
Under Bigland's direction starting in 2013, the Ram brand has enjoyed a jump in U.S. pickup sales. Ram director Bob Hegbloom, who has been part of the Chrysler team for around 30 years, will step in as CEO for the brand.
"Both Reid and Bob have grown tremendously as leaders in the last five years, and the time has come for them to have expanded leadership roles," Marchionne said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
The goal for revamping the Alfa Romeo in the U.S. is to reach sales of 150,000 in four years. The luxury brand will kick off its return to America with the new 4C, a two-seater sports car slated to hit U.S. showrooms sometime this year. Several other models should be coming to the U.S. in 2016, and Chrysler is currently working to find dealerships that will offer Alfa Romeo vehicles.
"Much more is expected from this brand in the next few years . . . and Reid's seniority and experience are ideal for the significant task that is now getting underway," said Marchionne, as quoted by the Toronto Star.
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
