Stellantis CEO appoints close friend as new CFO, also from Brazil. "we've been working together for 15 years

Stellantis has once again changed its Chief Financial Officer. Barely a year after the arrival of Doug Ostermann, the automotive group has announced the immediate appointment of Brazilian Joao Laranjo as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and member of the leadership team. The decision was made official on September 29, 2025, before the opening of the Milan Stock Exchange.

This handover is not insignificant. Doug Ostermann, who arrived in 2024 to succeed Natalie Knight, is now leaving the company for personal reasons, after a long career with Fiat Chrysler and then Stellantis. Antonio Filosa, CEO of Stellantis since the beginning of the year, paid tribute to him, praising "his many years of dedication".

The return of a house faithful

To succeed him, Stellantis has called on a familiar face: Joao Laranjo, 47, from Brazil. This finance expert has spent over twenty years in the automotive industry and international financial management. He joined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2009 as Chief Accounting Officer for Latin America, and went on to manage the region's finance, helping to drive its transformation and growth.

In 2017, he became CFO of Stellantis North America, before joining Goodyear in 2024 as CFO of the Americas. But from early 2025, he returned to the Stellantis fold to take over the reins of finance in North America, based in Auburn Hills (Michigan).

A relationship of trust with the CEO

For Antonio Filosa, the choice of Laranjo was no accident. The two men have known each other for a long time:

"Having worked closely with Joao for 15 years, I have always been impressed by his financial acumen, results-driven mindset and ability to understand the complexities of our industry," said Stellantis CEO.

This proximity explains the speed with which Filosa made his decision, just a few months after his own appointment. With Laranjo, he has surrounded himself with a trusted collaborator at a time when Stellantis has to navigate a difficult global environment, between falling sales in the USA, cost inflation and massive investment in electrification.

Confirmed prospects

Despite this change of CFO, the Group was keen to reassure the markets. Stellantis confirms that its financial targets for 2025 remain unchanged, as announced at the end of July when presenting its half-year results. The next key figures will be published on October 30.

By appointing a Brazilian CFO who has already proved his worth within the Group, Stellantis is sending a clear message: Antonio Filosa wants to consolidate his team around people he can trust, capable of understanding the complexities of both mature markets and emerging regions. Joao Laranjo embodies this hybrid profile, as both a high-level technician and a multicultural manager.

Note: Antonio Filosa is Italian, but spent much of his career in South America.