Antonio Filosa, current COO of Stellantis for the Americas and incoming CEO of the group starting June 23, visited two key facilities in Michigan last week, as part of a listening tour aimed at strengthening direct dialogue with employees and deepening operational knowledge of field production activities.
Antonio Filosa continues his tour of American plants in preparation for his new role as Stellantis CEO
Accompanied by the regional management team, Filosa stopped at the Detroit Assembly Complex Jefferson on June 12 and the following day at Sterling Stamping Plant. During the visits, he participated in operational sessions with local teams, interacting directly with staff and sharing the strategic vision for the region’s future.
These stops are part of the broader approach to leading the group, already begun on June 6 with an initial visit to the Windsor plant in Ontario (Canada), on the occasion of Chrysler’s centennial. There, Filosa took part in a celebratory event that included creating a commemorative mural, involving both active employees and retirees.
The visits confirm a leadership style based on direct presence and field involvement, already highlighted by Filosa’s previous European tour, and represent a clear signal of the intention to strengthen internal cohesion within Stellantis’ production network.
Beyond Filosa’s tour, Stellantis has also announced a new appointment: Yuri Rodrigues has been designated Senior Vice President of Quality for North America. In this role, he will be responsible for implementing continuous quality improvement initiatives across the entire region.
Rodrigues brings nearly 30 years of experience in the automotive sector, with expertise spanning from product quality to customer satisfaction, through production, development, sales, and after-sales. Before joining Stellantis, he held roles at Nissan Motor Corporation, where he was Chief Satisfaction Officer and Vice President for the Americas, in addition to gaining significant experience at Toyota Motor Corporation.
His international career has seen him operate in different areas of the world, from Japan to Europe, from the Americas to India, leading strategic projects at a global level. Rodrigues holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Universidade Federal da Bahia (Brazil), earned a master’s in automotive engineering from the University of Michigan, and completed executive programs at Wharton Business School and Stanford University. Rodrigues replaces William Kendell, who now assumes responsibility for quality in strategic partnerships.
