The chief financial officer of a global food retailer will replace Richard Palmer for the same role at the maker of Jeep SUVs, Ram pickup trucks and other vehicles, Stellantis NV said Wednesday.
Natalie Knight is the top financial controller at Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV, the Dutch parent of supermarket chains Food Lion, Giant and Hannaford. Effective July 10 at the latest, she will replace Palmer, who is set to leave Stellantis after 20 years with the company June 30 to ensure a smooth handover. Knight will be based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with extensive travel to Europe and other regions.
Knight will assume her leadership role as Stellantis pursues a transformation toward a sustainable tech mobility company. In the coming years, it's launching dozens of new electric vehicles as internal combustion engine sales fund much of those investments, and it's spending billions of dollars to build battery plants and retool assembly facilities for EVs. Meanwhile, economic uncertainty from rising interest rates, inflation and other pressures are on the horizon as the automaker seeks to maintain a double-digit operating income margin and positive cash flow.
