In the six months since Carlos Tavares was ousted from his role as Stellantis CEO, there’s been plenty of speculation about his replacement, whether a high-profile executive from another firm (both the Renault Group’s Luca de Meo and ex-Cupra man Wayne Griffith were linked to the role) or a big-name outsider from the tech industry.
You can see why many thought Stellantis would chase a big-name hire: Tavares had plenty of profile and industry standing, thanks to his success at Renault and Nissan and then his strong leadership of the PSA Group before it merged with FCA to form Stellantis.
Yet in Antonio Filosa, Stellantis has found its new leader from within. And while it’s certainly not the splashiest hire, it looks a smart one. The 51-year-old’s strong track record of success is hard to ignore and has fuelled his rapid ascension within the industry giant over the past few years to his most recent role as the firm’s North American chief.
I first met Filosa last year when, shortly after he was named CEO of Jeep, he held a round-table interview session for a small group of European journalists. His charisma was apparent from the start and, over the course of an hour, he answered a diverse range of questions eloquently – and without ducking any of the tough ones.
Of course, there can be a big difference between how someone presents themselves in an interview and what they’re actually like to work with but, as with many great leaders, Filosa seemed to have buckets of charisma mixed with a deep resolve. He felt like the sort of person who could make potentially unpopular decisions seem almost palatable.
Filosa also brings a useful global perspective to Stellantis, which will be vital to improving the fortunes of a sprawling international firm comprising a patchwork of diverse brands. Naples-born Filosa has spent the bulk of his Stellantis career in South America, and his time as Jeep CEO put him in charge of perhaps the only Stellantis brand truly successful in both Europe and North America.
During his career, he has also worked across all aspects of the industry, from planning to financial services, logistics to manufacturing. And his approach has been hugely successful. As Stellantis’s South America boss, he turned Fiat into a market-leading brand there, opened a huge new factory in Brazil and grew Jeep’s share of the country’s SUV market from 1% to 20%.