The top contender to become Stellantis’ next CEO is the man leading the automaker’s U.S. operations, according to published reports.
Antonio Filosa, Stellantis' chief operating officer for the Americas and chief quality officer, is now the main candidate to shepherd the owner of the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat brands, according to Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources.
Filosa had been seen as one of several possible candidates to replace former CEO Carlos Tavares, but the likelihood of his selection has apparently increased substantially. Chairman John Elkann has been heading the selection process and has insisted the company would pick the next CEO in the first half of this year.
Bloomberg reported that the automaker is “closing in on a final decision," describing the situation as fluid and noting that Elkann could still opt for a different candidate.
Stellantis stopped short of confirming the news, however.
"No decision has been made. The timing for nominating the new CEO remains unchanged, which means that the process will be concluded by the end of June,” according to a spokesperson.
Filosa, a native of Naples, Italy, was named COO of the Americas and a member of the interim executive committee in December, according to the company. His bio notes that he has been a member of the company’s top executive team since Stellantis was formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot maker PSA Group in 2021. His roots with the company stem from the FCA side, dating to the Fiat Group in 1999, and he has previously led the Jeep brand globally.
Should he be named as the next CEO, Filosa would take the reins of a company that continues to face challenges after a particularly tough 2024. The automaker in April reported a 14% revenue slide for the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year ago and announced it was suspending its financial guidance for 2025 in the face of “tariff-related uncertainties.”
Under Tavares, Stellantis had alienated key stakeholders, including many of its U.S. dealers, but Filosa had gotten positive marks from dealers with whom the Free Press had spoken. He had also highlighted the importance of the U.S. market when he spoke to the Free Press and other news media outlets during this year’s Detroit Auto Show.
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“To us, the U.S. is the biggest market Stellantis has the privilege to operate in. It’s the biggest priority,” he said at the time.
Stellantis has faced pressure from another key stakeholder, the UAW, to boost production in the United States. The union has pointed to plant underutilization at facilities owned by Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Volkswagen as well, but held rallies targeting Stellantis facilities in metro Detroit this week.