Fiat confirmed on Friday that the former head of Ford Europe was in the running to take over the top job at loss-making Fiat Auto, a Reuters report said.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
“(Current Fiat Auto chief executive) Giancarlo Boschetti is close to retirement so we have to look for a substitute and Martin Leach is one of the possibilities,” Fiat chairman Umberto Agnelli told the news agency on the sidelines of a conference in northern Italy.
Reuters said neither Agnelli nor CEO Giuseppe Morchio would be drawn on reports that Ford has refused to release Leach from a clause in his contract that prevents him from moving to a rival car maker immediately.
“Our rule is to do things and talk about them afterwards,” Morchio told Reuters, adding: “If we find any practicable opportunities we will consider them,” and reiterating that a key plank of Fiat’s turnaround plan is based on strengthening management.
Reuters noted that Fiat took a first step in that direction in February, hiring Morchio, a former Pirelli executive, as the first CEO in years not to have climbed the Fiat ladder while, on Thursday, Jose Maria Alapont, a top manager at components maker Delphi was named the new head of truck unit Iveco.
