After four tumultuous years at the helm of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares unexpectedly stepped down last December, despite having another year left on his contract. The company took about six months to find a replacement, ultimately appointing Antonio Filosa late last month to lead the automotive conglomerate and its 14 car brands. Born in Naples, the Italian executive is taking on a dual role, retaining his position as head of North America and American Brands.
Filosa is now reviewing Stellantis’ long-term “Dare Forward 2030” strategy to determine whether adjustments are needed. Before making any major decisions, he’s asking employees to stop identifying themselves as former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles or Peugeot Citroën staff. As a reminder, the FCA-PSA merger was finalized in early 2021. Instead, the new CEO wants the roughly 250,000 employees to embrace a unified identity: “We are Stellantis.”
Photo by: Stellantis
That approach makes sense. After all, it’s already been four years since the mega-merger. With a new CEO and leadership team in place, Stellantis aims to move forward rather than remain anchored in the past. According to Automotive News, Filosa told employees they are free to “speak up and be listened to,” emphasizing he doesn’t intend to be a CEO who lives in an ivory tower.
The former Jeep boss also believes past mistakes can be corrected: “There is nothing wrong at Stellantis that cannot be fixed with what is right at Stellantis.” The company has already dismissed persistent rumors about offloading its struggling Maserati luxury brand, signaling continued commitment to its many subsidiaries. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Chrysler appears to have a future as well.
Speaking of Maserati, some of its employees may soon be working more closely with those from Alfa Romeo. Santo Ficili, CEO of both Italian marques, recently hinted at deeper collaboration between the two. Staying in Italy, Lancia’s relaunch has not gone as smoothly as hoped, while Abarth’s shift away from combustion engines in favor of EVs could prove risky.
All things considered, Filosa has a full plate as he manages a sprawling portfolio of brands, some of which are in urgent need of revitalization. Whether Stellantis can mirror the success of the Volkswagen Group remains uncertain. The challenges today are far more complex than during the era that helped VAG become a global powerhouse. Rising competition from China, stricter regulations, and escalating production costs are just a few of the hurdles legacy automakers now face.