Rising Stars get big financial boost and promotion

A pair of Automotive News Europe Rising Stars have had a successful start to 2023.

Onto CEO Rob Jolly’s electric car subscription service has raised 100 million pounds ($121 million) to help it expanding its EV fleet in the UK.

The credit funding line comes from global investment group CDPQ and independent asset manager Pollen Street.

Jolly, a former Jaguar Land Rover manager who was named an ANE Rising Star in 2021, co-founded Onto in 2018. Since then it has become the largest electric car subscription service in Europe, with more than 7,000 cars in the UK, according to the company.

This is the second time since 2021 that Pollen Street has provided funding to Onto, which has raised 340 million pounds in that last five years to establish and grow the business. In 2022, Onto was recognized by Deloitte as the fourth fastest growing UK tech business in its Fast 50 list.

New Peugeot Europe boss

Stellantis has promoted Antonella Bruno to head its Peugeot brand in Europe from her current role leading Jeep’s business in the region.

Stellantis’s Europe region includes Eurasia and Balkan-area countries.

Bruno, who is also an accomplished volleyball player, started her career at Ford in Italy in 2000. She moved to Fiat in 2007 and was promoted to Lancia boss in 2013. Her work with Lancia helped her become an ANE Rising Star in 2015.

She led Jeep’s European business for more than two years.

Bruno will go from leading a brand with a little more than 100,000 sales a year in Europe to one that sold nearly 620,000 vehicles in the region last year.

Peugeot is Europe’s fifth-largest brand by sales and had a 5.5 percent market share in 2022, according to figures from lobbying group ACEA.

Deadline looms

The deadline to submit a nomination for the 2023 ANE Rising Stars award is February 15.

The award honors automotive executives with a pan-European profile who have driven change, fostered innovation and made courageous decisions. To qualify, candidates should have a minimum of 10 years of work experience, have multiple language skills and be 45 years or younger as of Jan. 1, 2023.

Click here to start the process.