The resignation of Carlos Tavares has come rather abruptly, after having been the longtime CEO. The affair has triggered a series of important evaluations for the company’s top management, with some prominent candidates that would seem to have already been named. Indeed, we are talking about Antonio Filosa, or the head of operations in North America, and Maxime Picat, head of corporate purchasing. The board is obviously also looking outside the company, but of course the main doubt at the moment remains solely on who will lead the Stellantis group after Tavares.
Possible guesses for the role of Stellantis CEO
The board of directors of Stellantis (NYSE: STLA ) is considering who could fill the role of corporate head. According to Reuters sources, the main names that have been mentioned are those of the head of North American operations, Antonio Filosa, and the head of purchasing, Maxime Picat, who could precisely be the internal candidates for the CEO position, according to a source close to the matter just Dec. 2.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigned suddenly on Sunday, Dec. 1, due to growing disagreements with the automaker’s board of directors and major shareholders. The source who provided this information said the board will also consider outside candidates for the job. A Stellantis representative declined to comment on specific candidates.
The profiles of Picat and Filosa
Picat is currently 50 years old and is serving as the purchasing and supplier quality manager at Stellantis. Picat previously served as director of operations for the Wider Europe region when the group was in its infancy i.e. a few years ago, in January 2021 to be precise. In the past, on the other hand, the French civil engineer joined PSA, the manufacturer of Peugeot (OTC: PUGOY ), in 1998 and held several positions including managing director of the DongFeng Peugeot Citroën Automobiles (DPCA) joint venture in China.
Filosa, on the other hand, is an Italian citizen, and he became chief operating officer of the group’s North American division last October, just as the internal Stellantis revolution was put in place following a 2024 results alert. As for his background, we know that he had joined Fiat (BIT: STLAM ) in 1999 and held several roles before becoming Fiat Chrysler head in Latin America in 2018. He also served as Stellantis chief operating officer for South America before being appointed global head of the Jeep brand in 2023, a role he currently holds.
In a press release, Stellantis shared a number of details about the interim executive committee that will temporarily guide the company during the search for its next CEO. The committee, led by chairman John Elkann, is composed of nine other executives; in his company are also the automaker’s new chief financial officer Doug Ostermann, Filosa and Picat. In addition, there are also six other executives who have been appointed supporters of the committee who report directly to Elkann. Richard Palmer, former chief financial officer who was replaced by Natalie Knight in 2023, was appointed special adviser to the chairman.