Antonio Filosa, a veteran executive within the Stellantis constellation, is taking over from Christian Meunier as head of Jeep. The new appointment must draw the brand from its negative spiral, as sales since the beginning of the year have dwindled further, even in its core market in the US.

Despite acting as a niche player in the world’s most popular class, Jeep’s SUV segment is in reverse. The cult brand was at its peak in 2018, selling more than 973 200 vehicles, but last year, that number dropped by nearly 30% to 684 600 units. Also, this year, the decline continues as the brand lost 12% in its home market, where it traditionally stands strongest.

Marketing errors?

Filosa is an Italian, serving most of his career at Fiat, focusing on the Latin American market, a stronghold for the Italian brand. He was responsible as Chief Operating Officer for Jeep in the region when Fiat-Chrysler merged with PSA to form Stellantis. That role will now be in the hands of Emanuele Cappellano, who also bows on a long-lasting experience with the group.

Tavares doubts Jeep’s performance, stating that the marketing wasn’t always right while trim choices aren’t always a good match for their allocated markets. He remains optimistic about Meunier’s achievements, referring to his leaving as his own wish: “The circumstances of life must make us accept the personal decisions of our colleagues, as they illustrate their human qualities, beyond their business acumen.”

Proudest of 4xe

Christian Meunier joined the brand as the global CEO of Jeep in 2019. He came from Nissan, where his last title was boss of luxury brand Infinity, with the task of modernizing the brand.

This roughly coincides with electrification, leading to plug-in hybrid variants of the Wrangler and – more uniquely –  its pickup version Gladiator and the launch of the BEV version of the Avenger, which took the title of Car of the Year in January 2023. In a statement, Stellantis said that Meunier will “take a long break to focus on personal interests”.

On LinkedIn, Meunier commented: “Throughout my leadership, I remained fiercely protective of the brand as we worked to boost its image with electrification and technology. One of my proudest achievements with the team was developing and launching ‘4xe’ – the Jeep brand’s answer to electrification.”

The executive change at Jeep takes effect on the 1^st of November but isn’t an isolated case in the ranks of CEO Tavares’ lieutenants. Beginning this summer, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis was burdened with the responsibility for RAM. Its previous boss, Mike Koval Jr., moved to the parts division Mopar. Over in Asia, CEO of India and Asia Pacific Carl Smiley was replaced by Ashwani Muppasani.