The Italian manager Antonio Filosa is the new CEO of Stellantis. The board committee led by John Elkann decided.
The choice fell on Filosa, explains the group, based on his " proven experience gained in over 25 years of activity in the automotive sector , his vast experience worldwide, his unparalleled knowledge of the company and his recognized leadership qualities".
An extraordinary shareholders meeting is now expected, which will be convened in the coming days, to elect Filosa to the board of directors as executive director of the Company. In the meantime, to give him full authority and ensure an efficient transition, the Board of Directors has granted him the powers of Chief Executive Officer starting from June 23.
“Antonio’s deep knowledge of our Company — including the people he sees as our strength — and of our industry, allow him to be perfectly prepared for the role of Chief Executive Officer in this new and crucial phase of Stellantis’ development ,” said John Elkann , who reported having worked closely with him over the past six months, during which “his responsibilities have increased and his leadership, leading both North and South America in a time of unprecedented challenge, has confirmed his excellent qualities. Together with the entire Board of Directors, I look forward to working with him,” he confesses.
A Neapolitan with a degree in Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano, Filosa joined Fiat in 1999 and rose through the ranks of the group that became FCA with the purchase of Chrysler and then Stellantis after the merger with Peugeot. He led Stellantis in both North and South America. During his tenure as Chief Operating Officer for South America, he led the Fiat brand to market leadership and then developed the Peugeot, Citroën, Ram and Jeep brands, strengthening Stellantis’ leadership in the region. His work in creating the Pernambuco plant, one of the largest automotive hubs in South America, launched Jeep in Brazil, which quickly became the brand’s largest market outside the United States. As Jeep CEO, Filosa expanded the brand’s global presence to Europe, where its models continue to be best-selling thanks to highly successful products such as the Jeep Avenger. In December 2024, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer for the Americas. Since his appointment, he has initiated the strengthening of operations in the United States, reducing dealer inventories, reorganizing the management team, leading the process of introducing new products and powertrains and intensifying dialogue with dealers, unions and suppliers.
John Elkann will continue to serve as Executive Chairman when Antonio Filosa assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer . At that time, Antonio Filosa will also announce the new Stellantis management team.
“We unanimously welcome Antonio’s appointment as our new Chief Executive Officer,” added Robert Peugeot, Vice President of Stellantis. “His proven track record of successful leadership over many years with our Company speaks for itself, and this, combined with his deep understanding of our business and the complex dynamics that characterize our industry, make him the natural choice to become the next CEO of Stellantis.”
Filosa's appointment to lead Stellantis opens a "new and important chapter" for the company according to Nicolas Dufourcq, CEO of Banque Publique d'Investissement (Bpifrance). "At a time of transformation for the global automotive industry, Filosa has the knowledge, experience and talent to lead Stellantis to new successes."
"It is a great honor for me to be appointed CEO of this fantastic Company," confesses Filosa, who says he is " grateful to our Chairman, John Elkann, and the members of our Board of Directors for their leadership , particularly in these last months, and for the trust they have placed in me to lead our Company at such an important time for our sector ."
The engineer praises the "immense talent, passion and commitment" of the people and the professionalism in the company : "We have the best and most iconic brands in the history of the automobile and a tradition of innovation that is over 100 years long. This history, combined with our commitment to providing our customers with the products and services they love," he reveals, "is the key to our success."
(Online Union)
