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The new CEO of Stellantis Antonio Filosa “Learn in the Knee” of Sergio Multionne, the legendary car leader who saved Italian Fiat from bankruptcy in the mid-2000s.
The 51-year-old Protégé needs these teachings more than ever as he is about to revive the fate of the world’s fourth-largest car manufacturer navigating Donald Trump’s trade war and the industry’s transition to electric vehicles.
Naples natives inherit a vast group of 14 brands. It was founded in 2021 after the merger of the French PSA and Italian Fiat Chrysler automobiles. The company has yet to restructure its position in the US, the most profitable market, with net profit falling 70% last year and burned at 6 billion euros in cash.
“As Sergio Martionne puts it, “Mustration is not worth traveling.” Filosa writes on social media time after being appointed CEO.
Filosa was selected from several internal and external candidates following a six-month search that began after his predecessor, Carlos Tavares, suddenly resigned in December against the backdrop of declining sales and profits.
The former head of the Jeep brand, appointed by Tavares to oversee the group’s operations in North America in October, was given additional responsibility to manage the larger American region.
During the interim period led by Chairman John Elkan, Firosa took on the role of Chief Quality Officer, and at the same time he was heavily involved in tariff negotiations with the Trump administration as the board tested his leadership abilities.
“He showed he could do that,” said one nearby Firosa. He learned from Martionne that “To run a company properly, you need to be close to your people and you need to be on the ground.”
People near the company say Firosa will be launched by Elcan and will continue efforts to repair tensioned relationships between Tavares in Italy and France and dealers, suppliers and unions under the government.
In a note to employees Wednesday, Filosa also said the focus will be on further strengthening the “bonds and trust we have with our partners.”
The people who worked with him describe people who are concentrated and energetic. Longtime water polo player Firosa celebrated her 50th birthday by swimming in the Messina Strait between Sicily and Calabria, known for her strong currents.
“He’s not a soft guy in any stretch,” said another, who worked closely with Filosa. “He could be tough like a claw.”
Filosa joined Fiat in 1999, increasing the ranks from a paint quality supervisor at a factory in Spain. He is best known for his role in Latin America, a key region that maintains high profitability despite group struggles in the US and Europe.
While automotive executives have a deep understanding of the US market, Bernstein analysts warned that “there is still a lot to do” to rebuild trust with the company’s dealership.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Tom Narayan also said the US group’s vehicle pricing is “well above historic levels.”
He added: “Because the US tariff situation is a critical condition, we can imagine a scenario where a new management team will reset expectations low.” We retracted guidance for the year last month, citing tariff uncertainty.
Elkan-led board also looked at strong industry candidates such as non-automatic industry executives, including Hyundai’s global CEO Jose Munoz and former Jeep boss Mike Manly, now CEO of auto retailer self-protection.
According to one close to the process, they concluded that strong internal candidates are more suited to tackling a challenging industry environment than outsiders who can be too disruptive during periods of deep uncertainty.
“Antonio is a proven leader in bringing a practical approach to his work, and he strongly believes in the power of collaboration and teamwork,” Elkan wrote in a note to his employees.
The Peugeot Family Group is the second largest shareholder through Stellantis’ investment vehicle Peugeot 1810, and also praised Filosa’s “Stelantis’ close accusations to industrial culture.”
The appointment of an Italian to head of Stellantis was welcomed by the country’s Minister of Industry Adolfo Urso, as a “great choice.”
In France, the CFE-CGC union, the first destination for Firosa to visit the company’s site after its appointment, said in a statement that it hopes the new Stellantis boss will “break the authoritarian and cost-cutting management style of the Tavares era.”
Married to two children and based in Detroit, Filosa will need to split the time between the US and Europe while traveling to Latin America and other markets. However, travelling to plants around the world was part of his career signature.
“He’s always been moving,” said someone who worked for Filosa in Latin America.
