Key Points

Stellantis executive Tim Kuniskis retired from the automaker in May.
Kuniskis will once again lead the company’s Ram Trucks brand, according to two people familiar with the decision.
His return comes about a week after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares unexpectedly resigned from the automaker following problems with its North American market.

DETROIT – The well-known Stellantis
Executive Tim Kuniskis is returning to the automaker effective immediately, CNBC has learned.

Kuniskis, who retired from the automaker in May, will return to lead the company’s Ram Trucks brand, according to two people familiar with the decision. The people, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity to discuss the move, said the company’s leadership team alerted employees to the decision early Monday.

His return comes about a week after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares unexpectedly resigned from the automaker following problems with its North American market.

“Today’s changes will allow us to operate in a structure that will generate the best results for the region, unlock significant potential and win in the market. “A primary lever for the Ram brand is having its CEO focus exclusively on that brand,” the company said in an emailed statement confirming the appointment.

Kuniskis, who has overseen several of the automaker’s brands in North America, led the company’s Ram and Dodge brands before retiring.

Kuniskis is arguably best known for leading Dodge for most of the last decade. He is considered the “father” of Dodge’s high-performance Hellcat models and “the unofficial spokesperson” for American muscle cars.

During his tenure, Dodge reestablished itself as a quintessential sports car brand in America. The brand did so with vehicles like the 700+ horsepower Challenger and Charger Hellcat models and the controversial Challenger Demon race cars. It also introduced the Hellcat-powered Ram TRX pickup truck.

Kuniskis’ return was announced along with several other changes for the automaker’s North American operations. Chris Feuell, who had headed the Ram and Chrysler brands, will now oversee Chrysler and Alfa Romeo; Jeff Kommor will lead North American sales only; and Larry Dominique, who ran Alfa Romeo for North America, will depart.

Stellantis’ U.S. sales struggled under Tavares’ leadership, despite increases in the overall market. That includes a 17% year-over-year drop for the company through the third quarter, including a 24% drop in Ram sales.