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He New Executive Director of Stellantis Antonio Filosa “I learned in the knee” by Sergio Marchionne, the legendary automotive leader who saved the Fiat of Italy from bankruptcy in the mid -2000s.
The 51 -year -old protected will need those teachings more than ever, since it seeks to revive the fortune of the largest car manufacturer in the world that sails through Donald Trump’s commercial war and the change of industry to electric vehicles.
The Naples native inherits an extensive group of 14 brands, which formed in 2021 from the fusion of the PSA of France and the Fiat Chrysler cars of Italy. The company suffered a 70 percent drop in net profits last year, burned up to 6 billion euros in cash and has not yet rebuilt its position in the United States, its most profitable market.
“As Sergio Marchionne would say: ‘Mediocrity is not worth the trip.’ Let’s win this together!” Filosa wrote on social networks hours after being named CEO.
Philose was chosen from several internal and external candidates after a six -month search that began after his predecessor Carlos Tavares abruptly resigned in December thoroughly of the decrease in sales and profits.
Appointed by Tavares to supervise the group’s operations in North America in October, the former head of the Jeep brand received additional responsibilities to administer the largest region of the Americas.
During the provisional period led by President John Elkann, Philosa also assumed the role of quality director while also involving a lot in tariff negotiations with the Trump administration, since the Board tested its leadership capabilities.
“He has shown that he could do it,” said a person close to Philose. He learned from Marchionne that “to administer the company correctly, you must be close to your people and that you must be on the ground.”
People close to the company say that Philose will continue the efforts initiated by Elkann to repair tense relationships between the manufacturer of cars under tavares and governments in Italy and France, as well as with distributors, suppliers and unions.
In a memorandum to employees on Wednesday, Philoso also said he would focus on even more strengthening “the bonds and confidence we have with our partners.”
Those who have worked with him describe a concentrated and energetic man. Filosa Water Pole Pole for a long time celebrated his 50th birthday by swimming through the Messina Strait between Sicily and Calabria, known for his strong currents.
“It is not a soft guy by any section,” said another person who has worked closely with Philose. “It can be hard like nails.”
Philose joined Fiat in 1999 and increased through the ranks of a quality supervisor of the painting store in a plant in Spain. It is better known for its roles in Latin America, a key region that maintains high profitability despite the group’s struggles in the United States and Europe.
The automobile executive provides a deep understanding of the US market, but Bernstein analysts warned that “there are many things that must still be done” to rebuild confidence with the company’s distributors.
Tom Narayan, an RBC Markets analyst, said that the price of group vehicles in the United States also remained “well above historical levels.”
He added: “With the situation of the US rate. UU. A short -term key concern, we could imagine a scenario in which the new management team restores expectations.” Last month, the company withdrew its orientation for the year citing tariff uncertainty.
The Board led by Elkann also analyzed strong candidates for the industry such as the Hyundai World Executive President, José Muñoz and Mike Manley, the former head of Jeep and now the CEO of the Autonation Autonation Retail, as well as an industry executive that is not cars.
He concluded that a strong internal candidate was more appropriate to address the environment of the challenging industry than a stranger who could be too disruptive for a period of deep uncertainty, according to a person close to the process.
“Antonio is a proven leader who brings a practical approach to his work, and firmly believes in the power of collaboration and teamwork,” Elkann wrote in a memorandum to employees.
Peugeot’s family group, Stellantis’s second largest shareholder through its investment vehicle, Peugeot 1810, also praised the “close familiarity of Philose with the industrial culture of Stellantis.”
The appointment of an Italian to the head of Stellantis was well received by the country’s minister of the country, Adolfo Urso, as an “excellent option.”
In France, the first fate of Philose for its visits at the company’s sites after its appointment, the CFE-CGC union said in a statement that he hoped that the new head of Stellantis “breaks with the authoritarian management style and cost cutting of the era of Tavares.”
Philose, who is married to two children and based in Detroit, will need to divide his time between the United States and Europe, while traveling to Latin America and other markets. But traveling to plants worldwide has been a part of their career.
“He has always been in motion,” said a person who worked with Philose in Latin America.