IRVINE, Calif., and AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -

As the month kicked off, FCA U.S. named a head of product planning, and Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has chosen a director of design.

Announced Tuesday, MNAO has picked Julien Montousse as director of design at its Irvine, Calif.-based design studio.

In this new position, Montousse will oversee all of Mazda's North American design operations, including next-generation vehicle design, exterior, interior and brand strategy development.

"Julien has been instrumental in strengthening Mazda's overall direction through his keen focus on creating driving atmospheres focused on the experience of driving," said Masamitsu Koike, vice president of research and development at MNAO. "He is an invaluable asset to have on our team and an excellent ambassador of the Mazda brand."

In his new position, Montousse will report directly to Koike.

He joined Mazda back in 2009, heading up interior design at Mazda's North American studio with long-term assignments at Mazda's headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan, the company said.

In this prior role, the new director of design helped push forward the production design process for Mazda’s sixth-generation lineup, which included  the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata and current-generation Mazda6.

"Through our KODO — Soul of Motion design ethos, we've come so far to instill a premium aura throughout our sixth-generation lineup," said Montousse. "I am honored to have been chosen to lead our efforts at MNAO, and I look forward to continuing to elevate the Mazda brand with advanced vehicle architectures, purposeful aesthetics and unique consumer experiences."

Ikuo Maeda, Mazda global chief of design, said, "Julien brings to Mazda a deep understanding of form language that complements our worldwide design efforts and adds a layer of depth to KODO design that keeps pushing the boundaries in terms of sophistication and style. I congratulate him on his appointment and welcome him to the next chapter of his career as MNAO's director of design."

FCA US names head of product planning

Earlier this month, FCA US. LLC announced Todd Breneiser was chosen as the NAFTA head of product planning, a move which was effective immediately.

Breneiser is now responsible for research and planning of all future vehicles in the North American market.

With this appointment, he has also been named to the FCA US Leadership Team. Breneiser takes the place of Benjamin Winter, who has been assigned the role of vehicle line executive for the C/D segment.

Previously, Breneiser held the role of director of portfolio planning and product planning.

Prior to that, he held various roles in the product planning department, the company said.

Breneiser joined Chrysler in 1992 as part of the Chrysler Institute of Engineering, the company's rotational program for incoming engineers.