Citroën and DS Automobiles have officially merged their top leadership. Effective September 8, Stellantis has implemented a unified Board of Directors for both French marques. While official messaging insists the two brands will maintain their distinct market positioning, one catering to quirky budget-conscious commuters and the other pretending to rival German luxury, their managerial hierarchy is now virtually identical.
Leading this grand experiment in consolidation is Xavier Chardon, serving as CEO for both Citroën and DS Automobiles. Sitting directly below him is a lean crew of executives who suddenly found their workloads doubled overnight.
Caroline Malléus, after running Product and Strategy for Citroën since November 2024, now oversees DS product planning as well. With a resume spanning engineering, supply chain management, interior design, infotainment systems, and a stint as Chief of Staff to the Stellantis CEO, Malléus is now tasked with ensuring an economical hatchback and a premium crossover do not accidentally share the exact same personality.
The double-booking strategy continues across every key operational division. Sébastien Vandelle, a 31-year auto industry veteran and former head of DS in France, extends his Customer Satisfaction portfolio from DS to Citroën. Aline Germain, who took over Citroën marketing in January 2026 after stints across Jeep, Dodge, and Ram, now manages DS marketing too. Meanwhile, 28-year PR veteran Leslie Peltier adds DS to her communications watch list, ensuring press releases for both brands carry the exact same polished corporate spin.
Rounding out the shared executive suite, Thomas Bastet expands his oversight of Citroën’s global pricing and performance to include DS, while Laurent Diot, a 28-year industry veteran who joined Stellantis in 2021 after two decades at Renault-Nissan, now runs Enlarged Europe for both marques.
Stellantis is essentially betting that six people can comfortably wear two hats without dropping the ball. Whether this streamlined board keeps Citroën accessible and DS genuinely luxurious, or simply turns two distinct French personalities into one giant cost-saving exercise, remains the million-euro question.
