Alfa Romeo Spain boss to head Fiat UK

Fiat Auto has appointed chief executive of Alfa Romeo Spain, José Garvia, as UK managing director, replacing Massimo Toso.

Toso is leaving the UK office at the end of the month, as exclusively revealed in Marketing Week (January 13) and will return to Turin in an unspecified role.

Garvia joined Fiat España in 1986 and has been with the company since. Before joining Fiat he worked for General Motors (GM) in Spain.

The shake-up is the latest in a series of restructures at Fiat Auto. The struggling car manufacturer appointed Claudio San Pedro as global head of marketing and communications for the main Fiat brand in October (MW October 28, 2004). He replaced Erlana Castro, who moved to Brazil to take up a marketing position with Fiat Auto Brazil. San Pedro oversees Fiat’s relationship with Leo Burnett, which handles its advertising across Europe.

Fiat is currently embroiled in a spat with GM over an agreement struck five years ago which Fiat claims gives it the right to force GM to buy its loss-making Fiat Auto division.

GM, which has difficulties of its own, does not want to buy the division and says Fiat violated the terms of the deal through subsequent restructuring.