As president and CEO of Fiat-Chrysler Australia Melbourne-born Veronica Johns will also be in charge of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo in Australia. Source: Supplied
- Veronica Johns now president and CEO of Fiat-Chrysler Australia
- Move follows only a handful of foreign female car bosses
- Johns says car industry "isn't a man's world anymore"
FIAT-Chrysler has appointed the first Australian female to head a car company locally - but rather than be responsible for just one brand she will in fact be in charge of five.
Melbourne-born Veronica Johns, 42, will take up the role of president and CEO in charge of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo in Australia (the North American and Italian firms joined forces in 2009).
Johns will start in the new position next week after 14 years with the company, having worked for four CEOs.
In the past three years as sales director she oversaw dramatic growth, from 8000 deliveries in 2010 to more than 24,000 across the Fiat-Chrysler Group last year - and grew the dealer network from 42 outlets to 96.
"I'm not a 'corporate ladder' person, but I'm excited to earn this position," Johns said. "I don't think it makes a difference if you're male or female in this business anymore. Good people rise to the top. The car industry is not a man's world anymore. And, I believe, Chrysler has been at the forefront of that movement."
The Freemont is a product of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance.
Only handful of foreign women have run car companies in Australia over the past 10 years. American Judith Wheeler was the first, she ran Chrysler-Jeep in Australia from 2000 to 2003. Germans Jutta Dierks and Anke Koeckler successively ran Volkswagen's Australian operations over the past six years.
But Johns is understood to be the first Australian woman to run a large car company in Australia. She edged out male rivals from North America who were keen to take up the prime posting.
In handing over the reins, the outgoing CEO Clyde Campbell, who is leaving to become the Fiat-Chrysler importer in New Zealand, said: "When they did the assessment, Veronica was by far the best candidate."
Johns says it will be difficult to maintain the company's rapid rise in sales over the past three years but expects steady growth with the arrival of key new Alfa Romeo and Fiat models, and better supply of the in-demand Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler.
"We're selling everything we can get at the moment," she said. "In fact last month we ran out of Grand Cherokees. We hope to get better supply of that model, but Alfa Romeo and Fiat have the biggest opportunity for growth."
This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét