REFLECTING the design and branding organisation of its Italian partner Fiat, Chrysler has given each of its three brands - Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep - their own design bosses, reporting to Senior Vice President of Product Design, Ralph Gilles.

The new design heads are Brandon Faurote at Chrysler, Joseph Dehner at Dodge, and Mark Allen for Jeep.

Faurote, the youngest of the trio at 37, was previously Vice President of advance design for international models, with the Dodge Neon, Chrysler PT Cruiser and the 1999 Jeep Cherokee in his folio.

Dehner, 44, has previously worked as Vice President of Production for cars, minivans, trucks and Jeep design, with the Crossfire and Sebring figuring among his works.

Allen, 46, formerly Chief of Jeep/Dodge truck design, has previously worked on the 2006 Jeep Wrangler and the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500.

New Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is moving to accelerate the reorganisation of Chrysler’s operations, taking a similar approach to that brought to Fiat upon his appointment as CEO there in 2004: developing each brand as its own business, responsible for its own profit and loss.

The three major Fiat brands - Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia - underwent massive restructuring under Marchionne, with the design studios of Fiat and Lancia merged into one office at Turino, while Alfa Romeo remained at its Milan studio.

Lorenzo Ramaciotti was put in charge of design for all three brands, with each brand’s design chief reporting directly to Ramaciotti.

Marchionne has said that Chrysler will undergo a similar restructuring, with design chief Ralph Gilles reporting directly to his office. In the past, Gilles reported to Frank Klegon, the former (retired) Executive Vice President of Product Development for Chrysler under Cerberus Capital Management’s ownership.