Stellantis has appointed Márcio de Lima Leite to lead institutional relations in South America. He will report directly to Herlander Zola, the group’s president and chief operating officer for the region, and coordinate activities that previously operated under different corporate structures. The reorganization changes how Stellantis manages relations with institutions but does not include plant changes or new-model announcements.
Stellantis streamlines South American operations under a single leadership structure
The new organization will bring together legal affairs, tax planning, public affairs and foreign trade. Regulatory affairs, led by João Irineu, will keep its current responsibilities but move out of the division that handles program and product planning and into de Lima Leite’s structure. The change puts the team that follows automotive regulations in closer contact with colleagues responsible for institutional relations.
Corporate communications also forms part of the broader reorganization while keeping its existing leadership. João Veloso will remain vice president of communications for South America and will continue to sit directly on the regional executive council. Stellantis has therefore centralized overall coordination without changing every operational reporting line across the individual divisions.
De Lima Leite already knows Stellantis well, having worked for the company since 2000. A lawyer and accountant, he holds a master’s degree in business law and has held positions across legal, tax and business development operations. From 2022 through 2025, he also served as president of ANFAVEA, Brazil’s automakers association, where he now serves as vice president. He also holds roles within the industrial organizations FIESP and FIEMG and participates in the Brazilian presidency’s Council for Economic and Social Development.
Stellantis has announced a 30 billion-real investment program in South America for 2025 through 2030, equivalent to about $5.8 billion. During the first quarter of 2026, its Brazilian plants produced around 197,700 vehicles. Tax, trade and regulatory decisions therefore affect a large existing industrial footprint as well as the projects Stellantis plans for the coming years.
In his new role, de Lima Leite will also continue working on corporate initiatives focused on culture, education and health, which Senior Vice President Massimo Cavallo coordinates. Stellantis has not announced any additional changes to regional responsibilities. The appointment mainly creates a single point of reference for institutional matters that cut across several divisions of the group.
