Antonio Filosa Named Stellantis CEO as Carmaker Enters Critical Phase
Stellantis N.V. has officially named Antonio Filosa as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Carlos Tavares, who unexpectedly resigned in December 2024—well before his contract was due to end in early 2026. The decision comes after months of vetting internal and external candidates. Filosa, a seasoned Italian automotive executive, was unanimously chosen by the Board of Directors and will take over the role on June 23, 2025.
Born in Naples, Filosa began his career with the Fiat Group in 1999 and has since held several critical leadership roles, including plant manager at Betim, Brazil, and head of FCA operations in Argentina. By 2018, he was appointed COO of FCA’s Latin America region. Following the 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group to form Stellantis, Filosa continued his rise, eventually becoming global CEO of Jeep in 2023 and later COO for the Americas in 2024.
His track record includes transforming South American operations, leading FIAT to the top of the market and establishing Jeep’s Pernambuco plant—now a key production hub. He also played a role in convincing veteran executive Tim Kuniskis to return as head of Ram. Most recently, in February 2025, Filosa served as Stellantis’ Chief Quality Officer after stepping down from his Jeep role to allow Bob Broderdorf to take over.
However, Filosa inherits a troubled empire. Stellantis, home to 14 brands, is experiencing declining profits and weakening market share. In 2024, U.S. market share fell by nearly two percentage points. European sales also suffered; DS Automobiles saw a 26.4% drop in the first four months of 2025, while Opel/Vauxhall, Citroën, and Fiat recorded double-digit declines. Overall, Stellantis’ European market share fell by 9.6% through April.
Chrysler remains a shadow of its former self, and Lancia’s revival efforts are struggling to gain traction. With multiple underperforming brands and growing global competition, Filosa faces the complex task of streamlining operations, reviving growth, and maintaining cohesion across a sprawling multinational group.
John Elkann will continue as Executive Chairman of Stellantis and Ferrari. A shareholder meeting will be held in the coming days to formally appoint Filosa as executive director. On June 23, alongside assuming the CEO role, Filosa is expected to unveil a refreshed leadership team to steer the company through this challenging period.
