Stellantis’s incoming Chief Financial Officer Natalie Knight says figuring out China is key for the automaker because of the country’s importance in the shift to electric vehicles.
China and Asia as a whole represent a “great opportunity,” also when it comes to working with the region’s automakers, Knight said Thursday on a call with reporters.
She joins the automaker on July 10.
“Unlike some of our other regions, where we have got a number one or two position with almost all the brands in the portfolio, this is a spot where there is a lot of opportunity,” Knight said. “There have also been some real lessons learned as an organization.”
Stellantis has been struggling in the world’s biggest car market, prompting CEO Carlos Tavares to consider stopping production there as Western nameplates cede market share.
The automaker last year flagged the possibility of implementing an “asset-light” strategy for its Citroen and Peugeot brands in China after using the same phrase to describe a decision to pull out from its only Jeep plant in the country.
Knight, up until now the CFO of Dutch retailer Royal Ahold Delhaize, said she has gathered experience with China in several of her previous roles, including for sports-apparel maker Adidas.
The executive will be based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, overseeing Stellantis’s finances as the company attempts a costly EV shift.
Her comments may be an indication that Stellantis is softening its stance on China. Tavares on Wednesday made similarly nuanced remarks, telling reporters he would like to see more cooperation between the West and China.
“We are not in a war with any Chinese supplier,” he said. “We are collaborating on technology, we are collaborating on supply and we are collaborating in creating properly balanced JVs with them.”