Alfa Romeo UK chief quits to take up Kia post in Spain

Alfa Romeo UK chief José Garvia has left the business less than four months after he was appointed to run the marque in the UK.

Alfa Romeo UK chief José Garvia has left the business less than four months after he was appointed to run the marque in the UK.

It is the latest in a series of senior management changes at the Fiat group.

Garvia joined Fiat Auto UK as managing director at the start of the year (MW January 27), but was moved to the role of operations director at Alfa Romeo in April (MW April 28).

He is now believed to have joined Kia in Spain as managing director.

Giulio Salomone, who replaced Garvia as managing director of Fiat Auto UK (MW April 28), will oversee the Alfa Romeo marque on top of his Fiat responsibilities in the interim. It is not clear whether Garvia will be directly replaced but an announcement is expected later in the year.

Garvia joined Fiat España in 1986 after a stint with General Motors in Spain and has been with the group ever since. He replaced Massimo Toso as managing director of Fiat in the UK, having previously been chief executive of Alfa Romeo in Spain. Toso left the UK office at the end of January to return to Fiat’s headquarters in Turin (MW January 13).

Earlier this year, Alfa Romeo UK marketing director Jeff Culkin left the company after his role was scrapped (MW May 26). Roland Ellison replaced him, although he took the role of marketing manager.

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