New Stellantis chief executive is announced, succeeds Carlos Tavares

A Stellantis veteran with time served in America and Europe has been selected to lead the group's future strategy, following the resignation last December of Carlos Tavares.

Antonio Filosa is the strategic leader a special committee has picked to step into the Stellantis chief executive role, and he will take up his position on June 23, when he is expected to also announce Stellantis' new leadership team.

Shareholders and staff will hope for stability from that point, as the group has already had a reorganisation just three months ago, with Linda Jackson retiring as Citroen's global boss and new bosses for Jeep, DS and commercial vehicles.

Stellantis said Filosa won the CEO role due to "his proven track record of hands-on success during his more than 25 years in the automotive industry, the depth and span of his experience around the world, his unrivalled knowledge of the company and his recognized leadership qualities."

It said Filosa's selection follows a thorough search process of internal and external candidates by the committee, led by executive chairman John Elkann. An extraordinary shareholder meeting will be called shortly for Filoisa to be elected to the board.

Filosa was chief operating officer of Stellantis South America, where he grew Fiat to a market leading position and improved sales of the Peugeot, Citroën, Ram, and Jeep brands, to increase Stellantis' clear leadership in the region.

While chief executive of the global Jeep brasnd he improved its sales including in Europe where its models continue to be best sellers for the company.

In December 2024 he became chief operating officer, Americas, and tackled a leadership restructure, excessive dealer inventory and relationships with dealers, unions and suppliers.

"It is my great honor to be named the CEO of this fantastic company,” said Filosa in a statement.

“I am grateful to our chairman, John Elkann, and to the members of our Board for their leadership, particularly in these recent months, and for the confidence they have placed in me to lead our business during this pivotal time for our industry. I have always been inspired by the immense talent, passion and commitment of our people at Stellantis and the power of trusting our teams to achieve excellence. 

"We have the world’s best and most iconic brands in automotive history and an over 100-year heritage of innovation. That legacy, combined with our relentless dedication to giving our customers the products and services they love, will continue to be key to our success.”  

Elkann said: “Antonio’s deep understanding of our company, including its people who he views as our core strength, and of our industry equip him perfectly for the role of chief executive officer in this next and crucial phase of Stellantis’ development.

“I have worked closely with Antonio over the past six months during which time his responsibilities have increased, and his strong and effective leadership spanning both North and South America at a moment of unprecedented challenge have confirmed the excellent qualities he brings to the role. Together with the entire board, I look forward to working with him."

Tavares (pictured right) resigned suddenly in December 2024, more than a year ahead of his expected retirement from the CEO post, after boardroom clashes at the vehicle manufacturer, which owns a portfolio of brands from Alfa Romeo and Citroen to Peugeot and Vauxhall.

Tavares had led an efficiency and profit-seeking drive at the group since it was formed in 2021 by the merger of PSA Group and FCA, however its sales volume has declined and the group has received some criticism for not producing more affordable models.

Tavares came under criticism after Stellantis issued a profit warning on its 2024 results, mostly blaming slow sales and bloating inventories in its key North American market.