Stellantis brought Timothy Kuniskis back from retirement as Ram's CEO effective immediately as part of another sweeping wave of leadership changes to its North American operations, company spokesperson Shawn Morgan confirmed in an email to Automotive Dive.
Kuniskis, who retired in May, will again lead the Ram brand. In another move, Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell, who was appointed to a dual role as head of Ram on June 1 following Kuniskis’s retirement, will now oversee Chrysler and Alfa Romeo, Morgan said. She takes over Alfa Romeo from Larry Dominique, who led the brand in North America, but is leaving the automaker.
“Yesterday’s changes will enable us to operate in a structure that will drive the best outcomes for the region, unlock significant potential and win in the market,” the company said in a statement. “A main lever is for the Ram brand to have its CEO singularly focused on that brand.”
Kuniskis’s return follows the sudden resignation of Stellantis global CEO Carlos Tavares on Dec. 1. The former CEO was under scrutiny after the automaker reported two consecutive quarters of declining profits and shrinking market share in North America following brisk sales in 2023.
Prior to his retirement in May, Kuniskis held various executive-level positions in his over three-decade career with Stellantis. He was named global head of Alfa Romeo in February 2018 and head of passenger cars for North America in June 2019. Kuniskis also led the Fiat, Jeep and Maserati brands for North America before being appointed CEO of Dodge in January 2021.
Stellantis reported a net profit of 18.6 billion euros ($19.6 billion) in 2023, with consolidated vehicle shipments growing by 7%. But that momentum did not extend through 2024. The automaker’s net profit in the first half of 2024 fell by 48% year over year, which led to the company lowering its full-year guidance and initiating a series of corrective actions that included sweeping leadership changes in recent months.
In October, Stellantis named Antonio Filosa as Jeep’s COO, adding to his CEO duties of the brand. He succeeded Carlos Zarlenga, who has held the position since February. Stellantis also replaced its CFO, appointing Doug Ostermann to succeed Natalie Knight, who left the company after just over a year in the position.
Kuniski's return to Stellantis as the head of Ram comes after the automaker’s vehicle shipments fell by 36% YoY in North America in Q3, while its net revenues fell 42% as the company navigates a highly competitive auto market. However, despite the declines, Ram brand sales were relatively strong in the quarter.
Commercial sales of heavy-duty Ram trucks in the U.S., which includes the 2500 and 3500 models, increased by 26% year over year in Q3, while the brand’s light-duty retail sales increased 11% from Q2.
In addition to the new leadership changes, Stellantis appointed Jeff Kommor as head of North American sales. In February, he was appointed SVP of commercial sales and was responsible for growing the automaker’s fleet, government and other B2B vehicle sales. Kommor previously served as the head of U.S. sales for Stellantis.
