Jeep, which is on pace for a fifth consecutive year of U.S. sales declines, is getting new leadership in North America.
Maserati North America CEO William Peffer will replace Jim Morrison as head of Jeep in the region, parent company Stellantis said Wednesday. Morrison will lead the newly formed Jeep Performance Parts business.
Peffer, a former Kia Motors America sales executive spent one week as its COO before joining Stellantis at the end of 2020.
“We are entering a new chapter for the region, and I’m confident both Bill and Jim will bring their passion and intense customer focus to their new assignments,” Stellantis North America COO Mark Stewart said in a statement. “Bill’s deep brand experience will bring a unique and valuable perspective for the Jeep brand as it begins to roll out its electric portfolio next year. Jim’s unbridled passion for Jeep and its capability on and off road will help to elevate and accelerate our aftermarket business, most importantly with the brand’s electric future just around the corner for our North American customers.”
Kelly MacDonald, who was named chief marketing officer for Maserati Americas earlier this year, will succeed Peffer at Maserati. She’ll be responsible for the brand’s operations in the U.S. and Canada. MacDonald previously held marketing and sales roles at Lucid Motors, General Motors, Nissan and the former DaimlerChrysler.
She will report to Bernard Loire, Maserati’s chief commercial officer.
The moves are effective Dec. 1.
Both brands are in transformative periods.
Jeep is launching two EVs — the Wrangler-inspired Recon and the midsize Wagoneer S — in 2024. The brand has a new global CEO, Antonio Filosa, who took the reins Nov. 1 from Christian Meunier. Meunier said he stepped down to focus on “personal projects and interests.”
Jeep nearly reached 1 million U.S. sales in 2018 but logged only 490,106 in the first nine months of this year. Its 9.5 percent decline in 2023 contrasts with a 14 percent gain for the industry overall.
Maserati, which is dropping V-8 engines this year, plans to go all-electric by 2030. Electric versions of the Grecale and GranTurismo are scheduled to debut in the U.S. in 2024.