The Franco-Italian-American car manufacturer Stellantis announced today the appointment of Antonio Filosa, formerly responsible for North American operations, new CEO, starting next June 23. “The Board of Directors has selected Antonio Filosa as CEO based on his proven track record of practical success gained in over 25 years of activity in the automotive sector,” Stellantis said in a statement. The news confirms the rumors from the beginning of the month.
Le Stellantis shares listed in Milan, after having exceeded 27 euros at the beginning of last year, have lost more than two-thirds of their value in the following 12 months. This morning at the opening they gained almost 1% to 9,31 euros.
The open dossiers on Filosa's table
Filosa, 51, is expected to focus on the difficult task of relaunch the fortunes of Stellantis, especially in its key market, the United States, after the company suffered a 70% drop in net profit and a €6 billion liquidity loss in 2024.
Filosa will also have to rein in the extensive portfolio of 14 Stellantis brands (analysts and experts believe that the carmaker should close or sell some of them) and complete the difficult process of mending the group's relationships with dealers, unions and governmenti. Stellantis was born in early 2021 from the merger of FiatChrysler and PSA, owner of Peugeot
Filosa happens to Carlos Tavares, who left the group in December after sharp drops in profits and sales raised questions about its management. Since then, the automaker has been led on an interim basis by its chairman John Elkann, a scion of the Agnelli family, founders of Fiat, now part of Stellantis. The Agnellis are Stellantis’ largest investor through their family holding company Exor. The group’s other brands include Peugeot and Jeep.
Who is Filosa: from Naples to North America
Since October, Filosa has led Stellantis in North America. In 2023, he was also named global head of Jeep, one of Stellantis' key brands, a role he left this year when, as part of a broader management reshuffle, he was also given the additional role of Global Head of Quality for Stellantis.
Di Italian nationality, Filosa was born in Naples, spent his youth in Puglia and graduated in engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan. Married to a Brazilian architect, he is the father of two children and has a great passion for water polo. He joined the Fiat Group in 1999, where he held various roles, mainly in Latin America, becoming head of Fiat Chrysler for the region in 2018. He later served as COO of Stellantis for South America.
Despite his Fiat background and Italian nationality, he has hardly ever worked in Italy and can offer the global profile that the Stellantis board sought to address the multinational automaker’s issues. His final years at the helm of Stellantis’ North American operations could also prove invaluable in engaging with President Donald Trump’s administration and responding to its tariff policies.
