Stellantis names new chief operating officer for North America
Pablo Di Si takes over North America from CEO Antonio Filosa as Stellantis names a new regional CFO and a new chief performance officer.
Stellantis North America COO Pablo Di Si | Image from Stellantis
On the Dash:
- Di Si joins the Stellantis leadership team, reporting directly to CEO Antonio Filosa.
- Jon Nelson is appointed North America chief financial officer, while Alexandre Sorel is appointed Stellantis Financial Services CEO.
- Gustavo Soloaga is appointed chief performance officer, leading the Value Creation Program globally, reporting to CFO Joao Laranjo.
Effective immediately, Stellantis named Pablo Di Si Chief Operating Officer, North America and American Brands. He will join the leadership team and report to CEO Antonio Filosa. Di Si takes over the region from Filosa, who has led it while also serving as CEO. Stellantis announced the move on Wednesday along with other changes in finance and performance roles.
According to the company announcement, Di Si now runs the North America business and its American brands. Filosa said the region is critical to the FaSTLAne 2030 strategy and called Di Si a proven leader who knows the market. Filosa stated in the announcement, “We’ve made important progress, and there is significant opportunity ahead. Pablo is a proven leader who deeply understands the North American market, our business and the importance of disciplined execution. I have great confidence in what he and the North America team will accomplish together.”
Di Si, notably, has more than 25 years of experience, during which he led Volkswagen’s North American and South American businesses and held leadership roles at Fiat Chrysler. Stellantis named him its first chief performance officer in July to lead the Value Creation Program.
In the announcement, Di Si said he will work with employees, dealers, suppliers and unions to build momentum. “I’m honored and energized to lead a team that has already done so much to turn around this critical business for our company.” Adding, “We will build from a solid foundation, based on strong execution and relentless focus on our customers across the United States, Canada and Mexico. I look forward to working closely with our employees, dealers, suppliers, unions and business partners to accelerate our momentum and grow our North American business.”
Stellantis also made several other leadership changes, such as:
- Jon Nelson becomes North America Chief Financial Officer, reporting to Di Si, and replaces Joao Laranjo, who held that job while also serving as Stellantis CFO.
- Gustavo Soloaga becomes Chief Performance Officer and leads the Value Creation Program worldwide, reporting to Laranjo.
- Alexandre Sorel takes over as CEO of Stellantis Financial Services while also keeping his role leading Financial Services for Europe.
Stellantis sales rising as turnaround plan takes shape
Stellantis’ U.S. sales rose 6% to 328,284 vehicles in the second quarter, the fourth straight quarter of year-over-year growth. In the third quarter, North America market share rose 10 basis points to 7.5% and Ram sales rose 30%. North America shipments fell 12% to 357,000 units in the third quarter because of a summer production shutdown. Stellantis also backed off its 25% retail sales growth goal for the year. Filosa now calls for gradual quarterly gains led by new products.
The FaSTLAne 2030 plan Filosa presented on May 21 calls for 11 new North American vehicles by 2030. Nine are priced under $40,000 and two under $30,000, and Di Si’s team now has to deliver that lineup. However, the release didn’t describe changes to dealer programs or incentives, so dealers will likely watch for those details as Di Si settles in.