Stellantis NV announced on Tuesday that former Ram executive Bob Broderdorf has been appointed as the new head of the Jeep brand in North America. With a 25-year tenure at Stellantis and its predecessor companies, Broderdorf joins the SUV manufacturer after serving as the senior vice president for Ram and previously leading sales operations at Dodge. He faces the challenge of reversing a trend of declining Jeep sales over the past five years.
Broderdorf takes over from Bill Peffer, who held the position for just nine months. His appointment is effective immediately, as Stellantis stated. Peffer will transition to a new role focusing on North American dealer network development, starting October 1, as he succeeds Phil Langley, who is retiring after a long career with the company.
This year, Stellantis has implemented a series of leadership changes in response to slowing sales and dealer dissatisfaction. These executive shifts have impacted several of the company’s key brands, its expanding software division, retail sales operations, and its manufacturing presence in North America.
In the past year, Jeep has experienced its own leadership transitions, including the appointment of a new CEO, Antonio Filosa, and now a second new head for North America. Jeep’s sales have significantly declined in the crucial U.S. market over the last five years, dropping from nearly 1 million vehicles sold in 2018 to under 650,000 last year. In the first half of 2024, Jeep sales in the United States saw a 9 per cent decrease compared to the previous year.
As the new head of Jeep, Broderdorf will oversee strategy, sales, and marketing for the brand in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Stellantis noted that Peffer’s new role will involve collaborating with dealers to enhance sales for Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, Alfa Romeo vehicles, and Mopar products.
Peffer, who previously worked with Maserati, had only been in the top North American Jeep role since last December when he succeeded Jim Morrison. Morrison had led Jeep’s North American operations for several years before transitioning to Jeep’s performance parts division and ultimately deciding to retire in the spring.
“Today’s moves align with our focus on optimising operations in the region and preparing for our future,” said Carlos Zarlenga, Stellantis’ chief operating officer in North America. “Bob’s diverse experiences in field sales, brand management, marketing strategy, and product development will be vital as the Jeep brand rolls out its electrified portfolio in the coming years.”
Zarlenga expressed confidence in Peffer’s suitability for the dealer role and thanked Langley for his over four decades of service with the company.
Filosa, the CEO of Jeep, highlighted Broderdorf’s strong relationships with dealers and his expertise in marketing and product planning. He noted Broderdorf’s pivotal role in fostering the “Brotherhood of Dodge” community through initiatives like the well-known Roadkill Nights. “Combining that experience with his awareness of the industry’s evolving dynamics, I am confident that Bob will be a tremendous asset in strengthening the Jeep brand in our largest market as we aim to grow global sales to 1.5 million units by 2027,” Filosa shared on LinkedIn.
These leadership changes come on the heels of a visit by Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to the Detroit area two weeks ago. Tavares has indicated his commitment to reversing several negative trends affecting the North America region, including slow sales and manufacturing challenges.