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Stellantis has named Antonio Filosa because the second CEO within the firm’s historical past, taking up after a 12 months of turmoil for the automaker.
Filosa, 51, from Naples, Italy, has been an government on the firm since Stellantis’ formation in 2021, when Fiat Chrysler Vehicles and Peugeot maker PSA Group merged. Filosa’s ties to the corporate date again to 1999, when he started with Fiat. He later served because the CEO of the Jeep model.
Not too long ago, Filosa’s obligations at Stellantis have ramped up. He served because the chief working officer of the Americas whereas additionally taking up the function of chief high quality officer — a task he assumed in February 2025. Now he’ll lead the fourth-largest automaker on this planet, overseeing Stellantis’ full lineup, which incorporates Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Vehicles, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Lancia and Vauxhall.
Antonio Filosa, the Stellantis North American chief working officer, stands within the Ram present room throughout the 2025 Detroit Auto Present contained in the Huntington Place in Detroit on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
When he was chief working officer for South America, Brazil turned the second-largest quantity marketplace for Jeep autos, second to the USA.
Filosa takes on management at a time when the automotive market in the USA is going through stark financial instability. Earlier this 12 months, Stellantis introduced it will be suspending its monetary steerage for 2025, citing “tariff-related uncertainties.” In its newest earnings report, Stellantis noticed a 14% dip in income throughout the first quarter of 2025. The 12 months prior instructed an identical story: In 2024, Stellantis noticed a 70% drop in internet revenue in contrast with 2023.
Gross sales fell 15% in 2024 in contrast with the 12 months earlier than, and the corporate in April reported that first-quarter gross sales this 12 months dropped 12% from the identical quarter final 12 months.
Prior to now 12 months, Stellantis shares have misplaced half their worth, closing Tuesday at $10.44.
Not too long ago, Filosa has expressed curiosity in fostering the expansion of Stellantis autos in the USA.
“To us, the U.S. is the largest market Stellantis has the privilege to function in. It’s the largest precedence,” Filosa instructed the Free Press on the Detroit Auto Present in January.
The logos of Jeep and Alfa Romeo are displayed exterior a automotive dealership in Milan, Italy, November 21, 2024.
In line with information from the tip of 2024, Stellantis presently employs roughly 34,000 folks in Michigan, 75,000 nationwide and greater than 248,000 globally.
On June 23, Filosa will formally start his function and unveil his crew of executives.
Sam Fiorani, vp of world automobile forecasting at AutoForecast Options, mentioned the brand new CEO is what the corporate must reverse its slipping earnings, mounting issues over high quality and a stained relationship with North American sellers.
“(Filosa) has obtained a whole lot of expertise from North and South America, working with Jeep, working with all of the necessary components of the corporate,” Fiorani mentioned. “In recent times, North America hasn’t been on the radar as strongly because it ought to have been for the early years of Stellantis.”
A frontrunner who is aware of the significance of Stellantis’ North American market “goes to assist the corporate make it by means of this decade and into the longer term,” Fiorani mentioned.
As Stellantis’ future begins beneath Filosa, it is probably not straightforward or clean. Fiorani mentioned the corporate has some robust choices to make: It would seemingly need to pare down the variety of manufacturers it affords, emphasize (or shrink) manufacturing in China, and take further steps to create environment friendly manufacturing throughout manufacturers.
“This stuff are going to be longer-term points, and it isn’t going to occur within the first few weeks,” Fiorani mentioned. “However they’re all factors that should be addressed as a result of this can be a international firm.”
Filosa replaces the primary CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, who resigned in 2024. Throughout his abbreviated tenure, Tavares maintained strained relationships with each American sellers and the UAW, which spent months calling for his resignation throughout its “Preserve the Promise” picket marketing campaign in 2024.
By way of a collection of filed and retracted grievances, the UAW alleged Stellantis was falling wanting staffing numbers and investments promised in a 2023 bargaining settlement struck between the corporate and the union.
On the similar time, U.S. Stellantis sellers took the extraordinary step of writing a public letter criticizing the corporate’s operations. Calling Tavares’ management “reckless short-term decision-making,” the sellers chided the corporate for jeopardizing their hallmark American manufacturers: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram.
“The reckless short-term decision-making to safe document earnings in 2023 has had devastating, but completely predictable, penalties within the US market,” the letter learn.
Underneath Filosa, Stellantis hopes to reverse these penalties.
Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Liam Rappleye:LRappleye@freepress.com
