Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares stepped down in December last year, setting off a months-long executive search. The automaker recently announced the fruits of that labor, as COO Antonio Filosa is stepping into the top spot in late June.
Filosa has more than 25 years in the automotive industry and enters the CEO chair with challenges ahead. Stellantis has seen sliding sales and has had a difficult time with partners, including dealers and suppliers. Additionally, Stellantis is expected to see stronger impacts from recent tariff actions than its Detroit rivals, Ford and General Motors.
The new CEO convinced Tim Kuniskis to come out of retirement late last year to lead Ram and moved sales executive Jeff Kommor to the head of U.S. sales, saying, “One of my first decisions has been to bring back talents we lost in the past. That’s why I was very happy with Kuniskis accepted the challenge to come back. I was very happy when Jeff Kommor accepted the challenge.”
President Trump’s trade actions could hit Stellantis’ 2025 earnings by as much as 75 percent, as the automaker is heavily invested in Canada and Mexico. The company also has a strong export business, moving almost 60,000 vehicles from the United States to Europe in 2024. Filosa will have to manage that financial impact while rebuilding relationships with suppliers and dealers – no small challenge.
[Images: Stellantis]
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