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Stellantis Hires Hyundai’s Head of US Sales Michael Orange
Company Also Signs AI Deal With Microsoft
Stellantis NV hired Hyundai Motor Co.’s top U.S. sales executive as the owner of the Jeep and Ram brands looks to sustain a rebound in car deliveries that’s crucial to its return to profitability.
Michael Orange, former vice president of of national sales for Hyundai Motor America, will become the head of U.S. sales for Stellantis starting April 22, the company said in a statement April 16.
He replaces Jeff Kommor, who is retiring after more than 40 years with the automaker.
Stellantis’ global shipments jumped 12% in the first quarter, driven by a surge in deliveries of Ram pickups in the U.S.
CEO Antonio Filosa is counting on a U.S. sales rebound to return the regionto profitabilitythis year.
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He's also grappling with overcapacity in Europe and the incursion of Chinese brands that are pressuring margins.
Orange will focus on improving retail sales and growing market share “as we continue building momentum in the US,” Filosa said in the statement.
Hyundai surpassed Stellantis to become the fourth-biggest automaker by sales in the US in 2023, and Stellantis dropped to the sixth spot in 2025, according to researcher Cox Automotive.
Stellantis Inks AI Deal With Microsoft
Stellantis NV is teaming up with Microsoft Corp. to accelerate deployment of artificial intelligence software across its cars and operations to improve customer experience.
🤝 A strategic collaboration to accelerate innovation! and are entering a Five year collaboration to fast track Stellantis’ digital transformation. — Stellantis (@Stellantis)
Both companies will co-develop more than 100 AI tools for areas such as customer support and predictive maintenance, they said April 16. They’ll give a Peugeot driver better recommendations for energy‑efficient driving in cities, for example. Stellantis will also deploy AI for increased protection against cyberattacks.
As part of their attempt to turn around Stellantis, Chairman John Elkann and Filosa have hired engineers in the U.S. and France to enhance quality and eliminate software glitches that had led to model delays in the past.
The group also is bolstering its customer support services, Xavier Chardon, the CEO of the Citroën brand, told reporters earlier this month.
Company to Keep Site Near Paris Open
Stellantis NV plans to invest 100 million euros ($118 million) to transform its Poissy car-assembly plant near Paris, an initiative to keep the site open as the maker of Peugeots and Citroëns scales back its European manufacturing operations.
Stellantis, which currently produces the Opel Mokka and DS compact sport utility vehicles in Poissy, will keep making cars at the site through at least the end of 2028, the group said Aprl 16. Then it will shift to other kinds of activities, including auto part production, recycling and 3D printing for special car series.
Stellantis has worked closely with with labor unions on the project, which “guarantees an industrial future for the Poissy site at a time of rapid change for the automotive industry,” said Xavier Chéreau, the group’s chief human resources and sustainability officer.
Filosa has been conducting an in-depth review of the group’s manufacturing footprint as part of his efforts to stabilize Stellantis following a period of deep market-share declines. Stellantis has 12 sites in France and dozens others elsewhere in Europe, several of which are underutilized.
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Poissy employs about 1,925 people — roughly 1,580 of them active, the group said. Stellantis pledged to retain 1,000 blue-collar jobs in Poissy by 2030, with no layoffs. The group had already said in November it would invest 20 million euros to renovate the Poissy stamping workshop, but the lack of clearer prospects had sparked worries among labor groups of an outright closure.
As part of his overhaul, Filosa is seeking to bring in one or more manufacturing partners in Europe to help the group reduce costs, improve plant utilization and avoid politically sensitive closures.
Albertina Torsoli contributed to this report.
