The recently appointed head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for the Fiat Professional brand Domenico Gostoli is warning dealers if they don’t represent the brand correctly then they will lose the franchise.

Fiat's commercial vehicle department is undergoing a global dealer-network restructuring to improve brand perception, Fiat Professional is looking at all of its dealers to see whether they will continue to work with them.

Speaking at a media briefing last week, Gostoli spoke passionately about the Fiat Professional brand and his enthusiasm to build its brand perception, saying that dealers are the key to the impression that customers get of the brand at the front-end.

Gostoli said: “Dealers are either in or they’re out. We’re completely reshaping our dealer network, and this is across the world, not just in the UK. We need the dealer network to be a reflection of us and do things the way we do, not how they want to .

“There are plenty of dealers that want to work with us and there will be a ‘zero tolerance’ approach with dealers.”

Fiat Professional UK country manager Sebastiano Fedrigo joined the UK Fiat Professional brand representing the UK, in September 2011. He said: “When I joined back in 2011, we had to sack 52 dealers from our network straight away. We now have 73 sales locations and the overhaul is part of a process to get to 100 quality dealers – 100 dealers that represent us correctly and help to build our brand.”

Gostoli, previously sales and marketing manager Asia Pacific region (APAC) for Iveco, assumed responsibility for the Fiat Professional brand earlier this year.

Gostoli was unable to add any more on its dealer-network plans.