Tavares steps down as Stellantis CEO in 2026: "Darwinian times for the automotive industry"

The Stellantis Group is setting the stage for a personnel realignment and has confirmed that CEO Carlos Tavares will retire after his term expires at the beginning of 2026. Under Tavares' leadership, not only were FCA and Opel integrated into the group, which has grown to 14 brands, but a joint venture with Leapmotor from China was also recently initiated. Tavares had consistently geared the group towards productivity, synergies, scaling, and a modular strategy, under hard cuts, including in factories, whereby the brands differ fundamentally in design and character. Moreover, the Portuguese executive had vigorously pushed the electrification of the portfolio, though leaving a back door open with the production-flexible multi-energy strategy and hybrid technology, which has proven useful in the current electric slump.

"In this Darwinian time for the automotive industry, our duty and ethical responsibility is to adapt and prepare ourselves for the future. And to do so better and faster than our competitors, in order to offer clean, safe, and affordable mobility. The newly appointed members of the leadership team will make valuable contributions to our entire team's resolve to tackle the upcoming challenges and strengthen and accelerate our transformation into the preferred mobility-tech company," declared Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares regarding the steps.

The formal process to search for a successor to Carlos Tavares is already underway, being led by a special committee of the board chaired by John Elkann and is expected to complete its work by the fourth quarter of 2025. The aim is to advance simplification and improve the organization's performance in a turbulent global environment, stated the group with regard to the further management changes. Their goal is to reinforce the company's focus on its key business priorities and to directly address the global challenges facing the industry under the leadership of CEO Carlos Tavares.

"The Board of Directors unanimously supports Carlos Tavares and the consistent changes announced today. We are confident that these steps to simplify our organization will strengthen our leadership team, which is working to bring the company's performance back to an industry-leading level," added John Elkann, Chairman of the Board of Directors.