Stellantis replaces Citroën CEO

As the new head of the Citroën brand, Chardon will report to Jean-Philippe Imparato, Chief Operating Officer of Stellantis for the Enlarged Europe region. A radical change of direction at Citroën appears unlikely, with Stellantis stating that Chardon is expected to continue “the development of the brand by building on the recent launches of the C3, C3 Aircross and the all-new C5 Aircross.”

This suggests no major dissatisfaction or strategic pivot on the part of Stellantis leadership. Indeed, the company has not provided any background on the executive reshuffle and has made no mention of what lies ahead for the outgoing CEO, Koskas—whether he is leaving the group entirely or taking on another leadership role within the multi-brand Stellantis organisation.

“I would like to thank Thierry Koskas for leading the Citroën brand over the past two years and for revitalising the product range, most recently with the unveiling of the new C5 Aircross,” said Jean-Philippe Imparato in the German-language press release. The brief statement includes no further remarks regarding Koskas.

Chardon, according to Stellantis, brings with him extensive knowledge of the Citroën brand, to which he dedicated nearly 20 years of his career. However, much of that experience dates back some time: after holding various Citroën positions in Italy, Denmark and Germany, he left the marque in 2011, serving at that time as Citroën’s France chief. He then moved into marketing roles with Volkswagen in Wolfsburg before relocating to China, where he became Vice President Sales at SAIC-VW. Chardon returned to Europe in 2021 and has since served as CEO of Volkswagen Group France, overseeing the French operations of the VW brands. 

stellantis.com (English press release), stellantis.com (German press release with quotes from Imparato)