Xavier Chardon has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of DS Automobiles, adding responsibility for the premium French brand to his existing role as CEO of Citroën. The appointment takes effect September 1, 2026, marking a significant change in Stellantis’ management structure for two of its French automotive brands.
Chardon, 55, brings more than three decades of automotive experience spanning France, Europe and China. His career includes senior leadership positions at both PSA and Volkswagen Group, as well as extensive experience in sales, marketing, communications and brand management.
The appointment comes at an important moment for DS Automobiles, which is introducing the new DS N°7, the first replacement for the brand’s best-selling model since DS Automobiles was established.
Xavier Chardon Adds DS Automobiles to His Citroën Responsibilities
Xavier Chardon became CEO of Citroën on June 2, 2025. From September 1, 2026, he will also serve as CEO of DS Automobiles, reporting to Emanuele Cappellano, Stellantis’ Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe.
The move effectively places Citroën and DS Automobiles under a single management structure while retaining their separate brand identities.
For Stellantis, the arrangement creates an opportunity to share resources and expertise between the two French brands without necessarily blurring the distinction between them. Citroën occupies a more mainstream position within the Stellantis portfolio, while DS Automobiles is positioned as a French premium brand with a strong emphasis on design, craftsmanship and technology.
Chardon says the goal is to use synergies where they make strategic sense while preserving what makes each brand different.
A Career Spanning PSA, Citroën and Volkswagen
Chardon’s automotive career began in 1994 when he joined PSA. A graduate of Institut Commercial de Nancy, he initially worked for Citroën in Italy before moving through a series of positions at the brand’s headquarters in France.
His international management career continued in 2001 when he became responsible for Citroën in Denmark. Three years later, in 2004, he moved to Germany to lead the brand there.
Chardon returned to Citroën’s headquarters in 2007 as Director of Marketing, Press and Public Relations. He held that position until 2009, when he became Managing Director of Citroën France.
He remained in charge of Citroën France until 2011.
His next major career move came in 2012, when Chardon joined Volkswagen AG. He initially served as Vice President of European Sales before assuming responsibility for Marketing and Communications in 2014.
In 2016, he was appointed Vice President of Marketing and Customers for the Volkswagen brand.
Experience in China Added Another Dimension
Chardon’s career subsequently expanded beyond Europe. Between 2017 and 2018, he worked for Volkswagen China, where he led the company’s “Project House Digitalization.”
He then took responsibility as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SAIC-Volkswagen, one of Volkswagen Group’s major joint ventures in China.
The experience gave Chardon exposure to one of the world’s most competitive and rapidly changing automotive markets, particularly in areas such as digitalization, customer experience, sales and new vehicle technologies.
In 2021, he returned to France and became Chairman of the Management Board of Volkswagen Group France.
That position gave him responsibility for Volkswagen Group’s activities in the French market before his eventual return to the Stellantis organization.
Xavier Chardon Returns to His Citroën Roots
Chardon’s appointment at DS Automobiles carries an additional layer of significance because of his earlier involvement with the brand.
According to Stellantis, Chardon was part of the launch of the first DS 3 more than 15 years ago, when DS was still emerging from its Citroën origins.
DS Automobiles has since evolved into a standalone premium brand, developing its own design language, product range and positioning within the Stellantis portfolio.
Now, Chardon is returning to the brand at a pivotal stage of its development.
In a statement following his appointment, Chardon described DS Automobiles as a brand created around the idea of challenging conventions and expressing a distinctive vision of the French automotive industry.
He also highlighted the importance of the new DS N°7 and the need to strengthen the brand’s desirability, uniqueness and longevity.
DS N°7 Becomes an Early Test for the New CEO
Chardon’s appointment arrives as DS Automobiles launches the DS N°7, making the new model one of his immediate priorities.
The DS N°7 represents the first replacement of the brand’s best-selling model since its creation, giving the vehicle considerable importance for DS’s future product strategy.
For a premium brand operating in an increasingly competitive European market, the success of the DS N°7 could be particularly important.
DS Automobiles is attempting to establish a stronger position against established premium manufacturers while also navigating the industry’s transition toward electrification, increasingly sophisticated digital technology and changing customer expectations.
Chardon’s background in sales, marketing and communications could therefore prove particularly relevant as DS seeks to build greater visibility and desirability around its products.
One Management Structure, Two Distinct French Brands
Putting Citroën and DS Automobiles under the same CEO does not mean the two brands will be merged.
Instead, Stellantis is emphasizing the potential for greater cooperation while maintaining their individual identities.
Citroën has traditionally focused on comfort, practicality, accessibility and distinctive design. DS Automobiles, meanwhile, has pursued a more upscale proposition centered on French luxury, design and craftsmanship.
The challenge for Chardon will be to identify areas where the two organizations can work more efficiently together without weakening the positioning of either brand.
That balance will become increasingly important as Stellantis manages a broad portfolio of brands across Europe.
Xavier Peugeot Moves to Jeep Europe
Chardon succeeds Xavier Peugeot as CEO of DS Automobiles.
Peugeot has been appointed Head of the Jeep brand in Europe, a newly established position reporting directly to Emanuele Cappellano, Stellantis’ COO for Enlarged Europe.
Peugeot will also retain his responsibilities as Stellantis Head of Heritage.
His move to Jeep gives Stellantis another experienced executive in a strategically important area, particularly as the company works to strengthen Jeep’s position in the European market.
A New Chapter for DS Automobiles
For Xavier Chardon, the DS Automobiles appointment represents a return to a brand he helped shape during its early years while also giving him the opportunity to influence its next phase.
His career across Citroën, PSA, Volkswagen and the Chinese automotive market gives him experience in several areas that will be crucial to DS Automobiles: international sales, marketing, digital transformation, customer strategy and brand positioning.
The immediate challenge is clear. DS needs to turn its distinctive French identity into stronger commercial performance while continuing to differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded premium automotive market.
With the DS N°7 now taking center stage, Chardon’s first major task will be to establish the model as a successful successor while building momentum for the wider DS lineup.
At the same time, his dual responsibility for Citroën and DS Automobiles gives Stellantis an opportunity to extract efficiencies between the two brands while keeping their individual identities intact.
As Chardon put it, the objective is to write the next chapter of DS Automobiles while taking its French creativity, design and expertise further.
Xavier Chardon and DS Automobiles: Key Facts
- New role: CEO of DS Automobiles
- Effective date: September 1, 2026
- Existing role: CEO of Citroën
- Reporting to: Emanuele Cappellano, Stellantis COO, Enlarged Europe
- Previous DS CEO: Xavier Peugeot
- New DS priority: Launch and commercial success of the DS N°7
- Previous employers: PSA/Stellantis and Volkswagen Group
- International experience: France, Italy, Denmark, Germany and China
- Career start at PSA: 1994
- Volkswagen Group: Joined in 2012
- Chairman of Volkswagen Group France: From 2021
Source: Stellantis