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Washington – Michael Manley, appointed Saturday at the head of Fiat Chrysler (FCA) to replace Sergio Marchionne, is a 54-year-old Briton who has relaunched the legendary American brand Jeep to the point of making it the master badet of Italian-American group.
Born in Edenbridge, he took the management of Jeep in June 2009, in the midst of a storm in the US auto industry after the financial crisis. Since 2015, he also runs the Ram, which produces big pick-ups and vans.
These two brands are part of the Chrysler Group, which merged with Fiat in 2014.
" The success of the Jeep brand under the direction of Mike Manley and his global experience make him an excellent choice to become the new boss of FCA ", according to Karl Brauer, from the Kelley Blue Book specialist automotive website.
" His international experience in growing this brand will play a key role as he can apply these techniques to all divisions of Fiat Chrysler ," he says.
The latest results from the FCA group have been driven by Jeep's growth, while Mike Manley has emerged as one of the closest leaders to Sergio Marchionne, who is leaving for health reasons.
And the mythical American brand alone should account for nearly 70% of the profits of FCA this year, according to the American investment bank Morgan Stanley with a goal to sell 1.9 million vehicles after 1.4 million in 2017.
" This year, an SUV (4×4 recreational NDLR) sold in the world on seventeen will be a Jeep, our goal is one in twelve in 2022 " and in the future a five, had recently explained Mike Manley.
Jeep is the historic all-terrain vehicle brand and has been operating this vein for a long time even though competitors are coming in with new models.
Mike Manley reoriented Jeep in the buoyant SUV segment in the United States.
With a young and relaxed appearance, Mike Manley has not failed in the past to point out that Jeep is one of the best-known brands in the world. " As recognizable as Cola-Cola ", according to him.
– Operational –
In many parts of the world, driving a Jeep is even a symbol of social status, he noted.
The Italians, who control the merged group since 2014, therefore call on a man from the seraglio from Chrysler to take over the reins.
Mike Manley joined DaimlerChrysler in 2000 as Director of Development for the United Kingdom and a specialist in distribution networks.
In December 2008, he became Vice President of International Sales and Operations. " He was then responsible for all sales outside of North America ", according to his official biography.
Mike Manley then took up the position of Operations Manager in Asia. He also led the Chrysler Group for international operations outside the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which brings together the United States, Canada and Mexico.
" He was responsible for setting up cooperation agreements for the distribution of Chrysler Group products via Fiat's international distribution network ", according to other elements of his biography posted on the FCA website.
Mike Manley holds a Master of Business Administration (MA) from the British University Ashridge Management College. He also has a degree in engineering from South Bank University, also in England.
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