According to Bloomberg, Stellantis is about to appoint a new CEO, and Antonio Filosa, current head of North American operations, has emerged as the leading candidate.
A long-awaited succession
The resignation of Carlos Tavares, in December 2024had left Stellantis without a clear direction, a void at the head of the automotive giant that took several months to fill. Initially, the Stellantis board had promised a swift appointment, but the lack of a definitive decision raised concerns. Deliberations took longer than expected, due to the complexity of the issues and the group's difficult financial situation.
After five months of speculation and competing candidates, Antonio Filosa, who joined Fiat in 1999 and has been an integral part of Stellantis since the merger with PSA in 2021, now appears to be in pole position to succeed Tavares. Filosa, a 50-year-old Italian, has played a key role in the group's expansion, notably in Latin America and more recently in North America, where he took over as head of Jeep and oversaw the turnaround in sales.
He climbed the ladder from Naples to the United States
Filosa is no stranger to the business. Born in Naples, he quickly rose through the ranks at Fiat, before finding himself at the helm of several Stellantis brands. This impressive career path has given him in-depth knowledge of both European and American markets. His appointment as Director of Stellantis in North America in October 2024 marked a decisive turning point in his career, in the midst of a turbulent period for the Group.
His pragmatic approach, ability to manage crises and natural charisma have made him a highly respected leader within the group. "Over there, he's a star," confides one of his colleagues, underlining his central role in the relaunch of the Jeep brand in North America.
A major challenge for the future CEO
While Filosa's appointment now seems almost a foregone conclusion, he faces a number of challenges. The main one will be to turn around the Group's performance, particularly in America, where sales have fallen alarmingly. In 2024, Stellantis saw a 15 % drop in sales in the United States, a trend that looks set to continue in 2025.
But that's not all. In Europe, Stellantis also has to contend with excess production capacity (the Termoli and Melfi plants in Italy are currently undergoing voluntary redundancy campaigns) and growing pressure from Chinese manufacturers, such as BYD, who are making their mark with competitive vehicles. As for the Italian brands, we also expect Filosa to bring visibility to the Maserati brand, which seems to have been put on hold since the resignation of Carlos Tavares.
Announcement could come soon
While the Stellantis Board of Directors, chaired by John Elkann, has reportedly clarified that no official announcement has yet been made, Filosa's appointment appears imminent. Since May 9, Stellantis' share price has risen in response to these rumors.
We'll just have to wait for official confirmation to find out whether the Italian, on the strength of his track record and internal popularity, will be able to lead Stellantis into a new era of success.
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If the fact that he's Italian meant he'd focus more on Italian brands (especially Alfa & Maserati), it wouldn't be so bad.
Perhaps an Italian at the helm of Stellantis is something, and a Neapolitan at that, which would mean that the Neapolitan plant at Pomigliano d'Arco still has a future, which was far from obvious with the Portuguese, who seemed to prefer anything French to Italian products!
Let's hope this new captain is more technically competent than the sulphurous Carlos Tavares, who, apart from lining his own pockets, knew nothing about cars, as evidenced by the shit he let create. So there's still hope for Italian cars with character.
So there's still a glimmer of hope...