- Carlos Tavares, who led Stellantis since its formation in 2021, give up the corporate this week
- Based on sources, Tavares was too closely targeted on cost-cutting and making the corporate inexperienced
- This focus reportedly led to the Hemi V-8s and fashionable fashions being dropped with out their replacements being prepared
With Stellantis’ international gross sales down 17% within the first 9 months of the 12 months, its share worth dropping greater than double that determine over the identical interval, and no fast turnaround in sight, it wasn’t an enormous shock when the corporate’s CEO, Carlos Tavares, give up earlier this month.
Stellantis introduced on Dec. 1 that Tavares had resigned as a result of “completely different views” with the board. This assertion got here simply two months after Stellantis indicated that Tavares would stay CEO till 2026, when his present contract was set to run out.
Citing varied nameless sources, CNBC detailed among the tensions at Stellantis that led to Tavares’ departure.
Based on the sources, Tavares did not heed suggestions from U.S. managers—representing Stellantis’ most worthwhile market and the one most affected by declining gross sales. As a substitute, he reportedly prioritized cost-cutting whereas pushing to extend margins, which alienated suppliers, manufacturing unit staff, and sellers, and in the end turned clients away.
Stellantis manufacturers
The sources additionally claimed that Tavares’ give attention to electrical autos got here on the expense of extra inexpensive, lower-margin gas-powered fashions and the beloved Hemi line of V-8 engines. This led to the discontinuation of fashionable fashions just like the Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Challenger and Charger with out prepared replacements, in addition to the phase-out of Hemi engines from most product traces.
“Everyone needed to maintain [the Hemi],” one supply stated, including that Tavares remained adamant about phasing the engines out. At present, Stellantis’ solely mild autos providing a V-8 are the Dodge Durango and Jeep Wrangler.
With Tavares out, Stellantis is working to regular its operations. The corporate this week introduced the rehiring of Tim Kuniskis, who retired in Could. Kuniskis, identified for spearheading the Hellcat line of efficiency V-8s, beforehand led Dodge and Ram and has been introduced again to steer Ram.
Stellantis can also be looking for a everlasting successor for Tavares, a course of the corporate expects to conclude by the primary half of 2025. Within the meantime, Stellantis will probably be managed by an interim government group led by Chairman John Elkann, a member of the Agnelli household, whose Exor holding firm owns roughly 14.4% of Stellantis.
