Fiat picks third managing director

Fiat Auto UK has appointed Giulio Salomone as its managing director – the company’s third in as many months. He will replace José Garvia, who becomes operations director for the Alfa Romeo marque in the UK.

Salomone takes over from Garvia, who was appointed managing director in February (MW January 27), next month. Salomone has worked for Fiat since 1987 and was most recently senior vice-president of financial services at Fiat Auto in Turin.

A Fiat spokesman says Garvia’s appointment as country manager was only an interim measure.

The change 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). That followed the promotion of Lapo Elkann to head of brand promotion (MW September 9, 2004).

Fiat is set to review its &£330m pan-European media account after WPP’s Red Cell took a 49 per cent stake in the Turin-based Fiat Media Centre, as exclusively revealed in Marketing Week earlier this month (MW last week and April 14).

Red Cell holds the advertising account for Alfa Romeo in Europe, while Publicis-owned Leo Burnett handles Fiat’s advertising.

Sources say Fiat is already reviewing its agency arrangements in Italy. The incumbent on the media business is Starcom MediaVest.