Will Antonio Filosa Be the Next CEO of Stellantis?
Stellantis is approaching the end of its complicated search for a new CEO with Americas boss Antonio Filosa, the current COO for North America, emerging as the top contender according to individuals familiar with the matter. A protege of late Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne, Filosa has been visiting U.S. plants and meeting dealers to repair relations that deteriorated under Carlos Tavares.
In December, former CEO Carlos Tavares was ousted amid clashes with board members and years of leadership missteps that sent Stellantis’ global performance plummeting.
The automaker implemented an interim leadership executive committee, headed by Chairman John Elkann, and reassured investors that it would appoint a successor in the first half of 2025. However, the urgency to appoint a new chief executive is growing due to stalled decision-making under interim leadership.
A native of Naples, Italy, he began his professional journey with the Fiat Group in 1999, and advanced into top management in 2018. He was the head of FCA operations in Argentina between 2016 and 2018. He served as COO for FCA’s Latin America region and was a member of the FCA Group Executive Council from March 2018. As the COO for South America, Filosa established Brazil as the Jeep Brand’s largest volume market outside of the United States.
Filosa became part of Stellantis’ senior leadership following the 2021 merger that created the company, and has received multiple promotions since. He was appointed chief operating officer (COO) for the Americas and a member of the Interim Executive Committee in December 2024.
As the COO for South America, Filosa established Brazil as the Jeep Brand’s largest volume market outside of the United States.
He assumed additional responsibility as Chief Quality Officer in February 2025. Filosa also has been a member of the Stellantis Top Executive Team since the company was formed in early 2021. He now serves as the COO for North America, chief quality officer and oversees all American brands. He’s been positively received by the dealer community, and his leadership has helped improve the company’s relationship with the United Auto Workers (UAW) .
Despite Filosa’s promising potential, the board has yet to make a final decision. It continues to evaluate both internal and external candidates and may appoint another individual.
What decisions he may make as to the future of Citroën and DS Automobiles brands in the Stellantis organization will no doubt come under close scrutiny.
The history between Fiat and Citroën is a complex tapestry woven with threads of rivalry, attempted takeovers, extensive collaboration, and an eventual union under a single parent company. Initially, both Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899, and Citroën, established in France in 1919, emerged as significant players in the burgeoning European automotive industry. They were natural competitors, particularly in the market for mass-produced, affordable small cars suited for European cityscapes.
A notable chapter in their direct relationship occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968, Fiat acquired a 49% stake in Citroën, then owned by Michelin, with intentions of eventually folding the French automaker into its operations. However, this move encountered significant resistance from the French government, which was keen to keep Citroën under French control. Ultimately, Fiat was compelled to sell its shares back in 1973. Shortly thereafter, in 1974, facing ongoing financial difficulties, Citroën was acquired by its French rival, Peugeot, leading to the formation of PSA Peugeot Citroën (later PSA Group).
Despite the failed takeover and underlying competition, a significant and enduring collaboration began in 1978. Fiat and PSA Group established Sevel (Société Européenne de Véhicules Légers or Società Europea Veicoli Leggeri), a joint venture specifically focused on the design and production of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs). This partnership proved highly successful, with dedicated manufacturing plants like Sevel Sud in Atessa, Italy, and Sevel Nord in Lieu-Saint-Amand, France. These facilities have produced millions of popular vans and MPVs sold under various Fiat, Peugeot, and Citroën nameplates (such as the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, and Citroën Jumper/Relay). Fiat sold its share of Sevel Nord to PSA in 2012 but re-entered through the Stellantis merger.
A similar, though distinct, collaboration also took place in South America. In 1981, the Argentine operations of Fiat (Fiat Concord) and Peugeot (SAFRAR, which would later be connected to Citroën through PSA) merged to form Sevel Argentina. This entity produced and marketed vehicles from Fiat, Peugeot, and eventually Citroën and Alfa Romeo for the local market until its dissolution in 1999.
The most profound convergence in their histories occurred much more recently. In January 2021, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the successor to Fiat S.p.A., and PSA Group merged to create Stellantis N.V., one of the world’s largest automotive groups. This landmark merger brought Fiat, Citroën, Peugeot, and numerous other automotive brands under a single corporate umbrella, marking a new era of unified operations and shared strategic direction, though the individual brand identities largely remain distinct in the market.
In summary, the relationship between Fiat and Citroën has evolved from early 20th-century competition to a failed acquisition attempt by Fiat, followed by a highly successful and long-running joint venture in commercial vehicle production, and culminating in their current status as sibling brands within the Stellantis automotive conglomerate.