The pandemic has introduced Stellantis executives and retailers nearer, says David Kelleher, chairman of the newly minted firm’s U.S. vendor council.

In years previous, Kelleher felt executives had one agenda and sellers had one other.

However in the course of the automaker’s first NADA make assembly as Stellantis — created by means of the mixture of Fiat Chrysler Vehicles and PSA Group — Kelleher might really feel extra camaraderie as executives fielded robust questions concerning the merger.

“I believe that this disaster helped pull us collectively and get so much stronger as a bonded unit,” Kelleher instructed Automotive Information.

“We each confronted it collectively, we each found out tips on how to accomplish issues collectively, and we each ended up in a greater place. Our firm’s higher, our dealerships are higher, and now the problem is — once we get again to some form of normalcy — can we stay there?”

Kelleher mentioned sellers raised a wide range of matters, together with what the long run might be for his or her model portfolios, the standing of the corporate’s stair-step bonus program, and profitability. Jeff Kommor, the automaker’s head of U.S. gross sales, instructed sellers that he does not imagine Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is seeking to get rid of any of its 14 manufacturers, a supply with information of the assembly mentioned.

“I do not know that these questions have been closed, , however I am undecided that these solutions are literally scripted but,” Kelleher instructed Automotive Information.

Becoming a member of Kommor have been Phil Langley, head of community improvement, and Mark Bosanac, North America head of Mopar service, elements and buyer care. Kelleher mentioned the questions posed to them have been collaborative, not antagonistic.

If the manager workforce did not have a solution, Kelleher mentioned the executives acknowledged that, in some circumstances merely telling sellers they’re going to have to attend and see what occurs.

“I believe Jeff Kommor identified some essential factors about what they want from us,” Kelleher mentioned. “And I believe that the questions from the sellers identified issues that we would have liked from them. I believe we put these issues on the desk.”

Added Kelleher: “That is my job now and the job of the vendor council to make it possible for these issues get achieved.”