Alexandre
The Stellantis group, formed from the merger between PSA and FCA, has entered a critical management phase with the launch of a succession process for its CEO, Carlos Tavares, whose term of office expires at the beginning of 2026. Although this change is not imminent, the move, confirmed on Monday by the Franco-Italian-American group, underlines the strategic importance of the company's future in a context of sluggish sales, particularly in North America.
A delicate context for Carlos Tavares
Since the merger, Carlos Tavares has been the driving force behind the creation of Stellantis, but the group's recent difficulties in North America have put pressure on his shoulders. While sales there fell by 18 % in the first half of 2024, the group saw its net profits melt by 48 %, reaching just 5.6 billion euros. Production problems linked to the renewal of certain key models, such as the Ram 1500 pick-up and the Peugeot 3008 SUV, exacerbated the situation.
John Elkann, Chairman of Stellantis and an influential member of the Board of Directors, is concerned about the decline in sales performance, particularly in North America, a strategic region for the Group. Although Carlos Tavares has acknowledged a period of "very bumpy transition", Elkann has reportedly begun to look ahead to the post-Tavares era, seeking a new leader capable of righting the ship in an increasingly competitive environment. While Carlos Tavares' term of office expires in 2026, there is speculation that it could end as early as 2025.
Candidates in the running
The succession process has therefore been launched, and several candidates with diverse profiles have emerged as potential successors to Carlos Tavares.
Jean-Philippe Imparato: the PSA veteran
Jean-Philippe Imparato, current Managing Director of Alfa Romeo, is a veteran of the PSA Group. With a career spanning more than 30 years within the group, he rose through the ranks at Peugeot and Citroën before being appointed to head the cloverleaf brand in 2021. Imparato has demonstrated his ability to manage brands under pressure and adapt their strategy to global challenges.
However, his close ties with PSA, reminiscent of those of Carlos Tavares, could pose a problem. Some Stellantis shareholders may want to turn the page on the PSA duo and breathe new life into management.
Olivier François: the master of marketing
Olivier François is another strong candidate for the position. Currently CEO of Fiat and Abarth, he has successfully managed brands as diverse as Chrysler, Fiat, and recently took the reins of DS Automobiles, while remaining a key strategist within Stellantis as Chief Marketing Officer.
Olivier François has the distinction of having successfully navigated the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) world before the merger with PSA, contributing marketing campaigns such as those for the Super Bowl for Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat.
His knowledge of the American market, where he headed Chrysler for several years, could make him a reassuring compromise choice for boosting sales in North America. However, Olivier François is above all a "marketer", which could be a hindrance in the face of the industrial challenges facing the group today.
An imminent decision by the Stellantis Board of Directors?
A key Stellantis board meeting will take place in early October at the company's US headquarters in Auburn Hills, near Detroit. The question of Carlos Tavares' succession is likely to be addressed, although it is not yet clear who will take over.no final decision is expected for several months.
The Board is currently chaired by John Elkann, with Robert Peugeot as non-executive Vice-Chairman, and a mix of executives from PSA and FCA. The fact that John Elkann and Carlos Tavares are the only executive members of the board illustrates their weight in future strategic decisions. However, the Chairman's growing dissatisfaction with Stellantis' US performance could precipitate a decision in the coming months.
| Name | Status | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| John Elkann | Executive Chairman | Italian |
| Carlos Tavares | CEO | Portuguese |
| Robert Peugeot | Non-executive Vice-President | French |
| Henri de Castries | Senior Independent Director | French |
| Fiona Clare Cicconi | Non-executive Vice-President | English / Italian |
| Nicolas Dufourcq | Non-executive Vice-President | French |
| Ann Frances Godbehere | Non-executive Vice-President | Canadian / English |
| Wan Ling Martello | Non-executive Vice-President | American |
| Claudia Parzani | Non-executive Vice-President | Italian |
| Benoît Ribadeau-Dumas | Non-executive Vice-President | French |
| Jacques Saint-Exupéry | Non-executive Vice-President | French |
The search for Carlos Tavares' successor reflects the Group's determination to prepare for the future with care. Jean-Philippe Imparato and Olivier François stand out as the main candidates, each with distinct strengths and backgrounds. Unless the candidate comes from the outside.
Let's swap Tavares for De Meo.
What's the point of taking Scrooge out and putting Imparato in? They're all the same.
Yes, it's very clear that only Mr Olivier François can and should take over the management of Stellantis! We need men who are in the field and ahead of their time! Be an anticipator! Because this will boost the group, even if there will be some inevitable damage in view of the new mobilities to come!
Merci Thank you merci a vous Tous.
Well, he's got one foot in DS...
Nothing too crazy...
Tavares has done a lot of damage to Stellantis' Italian and American brands. It's enough to want to drift Peugeot everywhere, just as it is to want to impose electric cars, which are now hard to sell, and whose market share is stagnating or falling.
A good example is the Fiat 500e, an excellent city car, but far too expensive and electric only, with very disappointing sales. Its qualities are not in question, only the price and the absence of a hybrid model, which won't arrive for at least another year. And in the meantime?
As for Alfa Romeo, they say they're going to bring out lots of models, and in the end we get the Junior with PureTech or electric, when the future Giulia and Stelvio are announced as 100% electric.
Stellantis under Tavares is a series of bad decisions.
It doesn't make much difference now. In Geneva, Switzerland, the last Fiat garage has just closed, with 30 redundancies. It was Fiat's historic garage.
Going for just for fun, Briatore? Montezemolo?
merhaba italpassion.fr
bence stellantis ' in yeni ceo su tavares yerine sey gelsin eski volkswagen ceo su herbert diess ya da renault dan luca de meo
almanya dan
mesut uyanik
The solution is obvious if you want to keep going in the same direction as Tavares, just call Carlos GHOSN, he's the one who taught Tavares his trade and it's thanks to him that Nissan and Renault almost went under because of their quality problems. So by calling the other Carlos, you can rest assured that the EstStellantis problem will be solved once and for all.