Stellantis names Antonio Filosa as new Jeep CEO, replaces Christian Meunier

Jeep maker Stellantis NV on Thursday named a new CEO of its adventure brand.

Antonio Filosa, chief operating officer in South America, is replacing Christian Meunier as Jeep's CEO effective Nov. 1. Meunier, according to a news release, will "take a long break to focus on personal interests" after leading the brand since May 2019.

Filosa joined the Fiat Group in 1999 as head of purchasing in Latin America. He has worked as plant manager of the Betim facility in Brazil and as the head of Argentina as well as the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands in Latin America. He holds a master's degree in engineering from Italy's Politecnico di Milano.

Emanuele Cappellano, North America CEO and group strategy and corporate development director at Italian eyewear manufacturer Marcolin Group, will replace Filosa. Cappellano previously was chief financial officer in South America for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, a Stellantis predecessor, from 2017 to 2021.

The automaker also appointed Ashwani Muppasani, head of Stellantis' China national sales company, as chief operating officer of Stellantis India and Asia Pacific, replacing Carl Smiley, who "has decided to prioritize his private life," according to the release.

“I want to take the opportunity to warmly thank Christian and Carl for their commitment and contributions to making Stellantis the leading company it is today,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement. “The circumstances of life must make us accept the personal decisions of our colleagues, as they illustrate their human qualities, beyond their business acumen. I have every confidence that Emanuele and Ashwani, as newly appointed EVPs, as well as Antonio in his new Jeep Brand CEO role, will continue the paths traced by their predecessors and further drive Stellantis to win during this time of profound change in our sector.”

The changes come following a number of change-ups among executives at the company this summer, including at its brands. Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis added Ram to his list of responsibilities in July, replacing Mike Koval Jr., who now leads Mopar in North America.

bnoble@detroitnews.com

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