BYD to hire Stellantis’ Maria Grazia Davino to help drive European expansion: report

Chinese car maker BYD is reported to have recruited former Stellantis UK chief Maria Grazia Davino as it assembles a team of European executives to support regional expansion.

Automotive News Europe reports that it understands that Davino is expected to oversee several European markets for BYD.

Davino was brought in to the UK by Stellantis last year to repair poor relations with its franchise investors and iron out numerous operational issues, including delays in payments to dealers.

Davino’s move comes shortly after leaving her Stellantis role on October 18, marking her as the third prominent Stellantis executive to join BYD recently including Alessandro Grosso, previously Stellantis’ vice president of sales in Italy, who becomes that country’s manager for the Chinese manufacturer.

Although BYD and Davino have both declined to confirm the move, Automotive News Europe reports that Alberto De Aza, head of Stellantis' Peugeot brand in Spain and Portugal, is also set to lead BYD operations in those markets.

Grosso, De Aza, and Davino are all former executives from Fiat Chrysler, which merged with France’s PSA Group in 2021 to create Stellantis

Former Fiat Chrysler regional head Alfredo Altavilla is also understood to have been recruited as a special adviser for Europe.

The news comes as Stellantis works to cut costs amid market share declines in key regions. As part of a drive to streamline operations and ensure profitability the car maker said would review its portfolio of 14 car brands to determine which have the strongest future.

Chief executive Carlos Tavares revealed the plan to scrutinise the brands within the next two or three years while at the Paris Motor Show.

In August, BYD sales in the region rose by 19% despite new EU tariffs on Chinese-built EV imports and is set to build factories in Hungary and Turkey to support production in the region