Mike Whitfield appointed MD of Stellantis SA

Longtime Nissan stalwart Mike Whitfield has been appointed MD of Stellantis SA as part of organisational changes at the multinational carmaker.

Whitfield joins from Nissan where he has spent his entire working life in various leadership positions, most recently as group adviser for strategy, policy and external affairs after a number of years as MD of Nissan Africa.  

As past president of Naamsa and current president of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, Whitfield has played a major role in the leadership of the SA and African automotive industries. 

Whitfield takes over from Leslie Ramsoomar who set up the local operation after the international merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA created Stellantis as the world’s fourth-largest auto group in 2021. The company's brands include Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep, Chrysler, Peugeot, Citroën, and Opel.

Pravin Harinarayan is appointed the new sales director and Hassan Salie the new after sales director of Stellantis SA.

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to Leslie Ramsoomar for his nearly four years tenure as MD of Stellantis SA where he set up the operation after merger, and the most recent conclusion of the manufacturing project. We wish him well in all his future endeavours,” said Stellantis SA in a press release.

Stellantis SA recently announced a R3bn investment with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the department of trade, industry & competition to build completely knocked down units of the Peugeot Landtrek at a facility in the Coega Special Economic Zone in the Eastern Cape.