• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Stellantis is reorganizing its marketing and advertising department resulting in some executives leaving the company.

Sources say one employee who has departed is Wendy Orthman, vice president of brand marketing and communications at Jeep, who was with the automaker less than a year. 

Orthman joined Stellantis last June from Genesis Motor North America, where she had been executive director of marketing. She was previously at Infiniti Motor Co. as global head of brand, marketing and communications, a role that merged the responsibilities of chief marketing and chief communications officer.

Nicole Longhini-McElroy, Maserati’s North American marketing director, also is leaving the company, according to a post on LinkedIn. She had been in the role for 18 months. 

“My time with the brand -- and with all of my global colleagues -- has been truly meaningful both professionally and personally,” she posted. “I am deeply proud of what we had accomplished together. From elevating our presence across the region to driving ambitious programs forward, every milestone was achieved because of the passion, creativity, and commitment that this team brings to life every day. It has been a privilege to contribute to a brand as iconic and inspiring as Maserati, and even more of a privilege to work alongside such talented colleagues.”

As part of organizational changes Nicole Pesale, who was head of Jeep advertising from May 2022 to September 2025, will now lead marketing communications for Jeep, replacing Orthman.

Additional moves include Lindsey Hart, previously Ram senior advertising manager, will now lead Ram's advertising team.

Lindsay Fifelski, who previously led Ram's advertising efforts, will now lead Jeep advertising's team. 

At Jeep, Orthman reported directly to Bob Broderdorf, chief executive officer of Jeep, with dotted line reporting to Lucy McLellan, senior vice president, global chief marketing and communications officer at Jeep and head of marketing, North America. 

McLellan has since left the company. 

Orthman declined to comment, referring questions to the automaker’s communications department.

Stellantis last tweaked its marketing department in February 2025.

At that time McLellan, who had been senior vice president, global chief marketing and communications officer at Jeep since February 2022, added the title of head of marketing, North America. McLellan ended up leaving the company four months later in June for T-Mobile, where she became chief brand and communications officer.

The current reduction in the marketing department is in contrast to what the automaker is doing as a whole. 

Stellantis’ global employment grew last year for the first time in the carmaker's history as it added more than 10,000 jobs worldwide, with 4,700 of those in North America, newly released corporate filings show.

“The company had methodically cut costs in the years after its 2021 formation, as former CEO Carlos Tavares oversaw a nearly 50,000-employee reduction globally through 2024,” according to The Detroit News. “Now, under CEO Antonio Filosa, who took over last year, that trend is turning around. Total company employment at the end of last year surged to 258,668, similar to 2023 levels. Total U.S. headcount grew by about 400."

Stellantis is expected to unveil a new brand investment strategy at its Investor Day on May 21.

The automaker ‘is shifting its focus to its four major brands and relegating less profitable brands to ‘selective investment’ as the carmaker’s new CEO moves aggressively to regain momentum and restore profitable growth,” according to Seeking Alpha. “Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, and Fiat will now receive the bulk of Stellantis’ investment along with a ‘material increase’ in funding, while the remaining brands like Citroën, Alfa Romeo, Opel, and Maserati will be promoted mostly in regions where the vehicles are more popular, such as France for the Citroën and China for the Maserati.”