“The decision to create a new department for this integral part of our business is in line with our ambitious growth plans.”, John R.F. Muratori, Chief Operating Officer of AEC, comments on the creation of the standalone department. “Especially after such a difficult period for the automotive industry, the importance of efficient inventory planning is even more evident than ever before.”
Alessandro Saita, AEC’s new Product & Production Planning Director, looks back on over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Some notable milestones include working in Product Marketing for Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Abarth, as the Marketing Director for the Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge brands for FCA in Japan, as well as managing these brands in Shanghai for the APAC region where he worked on advertising campaigns for FCA APAC. Most recently, Saita was part of APAC General Distributors Team working on Product, building processes to ensure market requirements are defined well in advance for various markets. The automotive expert has led the Brand and Product Marketing team and worked on new product initiatives, launches in new markets and the creation of brand websites across all General Distributor markets.
Rose Pizzo, who joined Alessandro’s team this month as Product Planning Manager, brings over four years of experience at FCA ranging from International Market and Brand Management to the production and supply chain of parts and vehicles. During this time, Pizzo gained valuable knowledge in Dodge & RAM products, global vehicle launches, and improving customer buying experiences. Most recently, she worked for the Jeep Brand as the Assistant Brand Manager on Wrangler and Gladiator. She was also the Brand lead on a task force aimed to prepare the customers and dealer network for electric vehicles.
“We are excited to welcome Alessandro and Rose to the team. They are both very experienced professionals and come with a comprehensive knowledge of the brands we carry. They will help us ensure that AEC continues meeting market demand in terms of efficient inventory planning and product line-up and help us maintain our competitive edge AEC is known for.”, says Andrew Pilsworth, CEO & President of AEC.
The Product & Production Planning Department will own and coordinate a wide variety of tasks for the Dodge & RAM business with the objective to develop all strategic product line-up and volume assumptions for respective models in collaboration with other departments. They will negotiate product pricing with the manufacturer along with other members of Senior Management, ensure that European market requirements are considered in the importer’s product line-up and devise product launch strategies.