STELLANTIS is planning another shakeup of its management ranks as the automaker deepens its overhaul following the ouster of chief executive officer Carlos Tavares, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Chief software officer Yves Bonnefont is stepping down from his role, said the sources, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. Linda Jackson, who has been in charge of the Peugeot brand, is also losing her role, the sources said.
Considered a Tavares protege, Bonnefont has been in charge of the software business that was responsible for delays to key new models in the US and Europe, including an all-electric Ram pickup truck, the sources said. Chief engineering and technology officer Ned Curic will oversee software in the future as part of operations streamlining, they said.
The moves would mark another change in direction post-Tavares, who was pushed out in December after sagging sales and relentless cost cutting soured investors and upset politicians. The maker of Jeep SUVs and Fiat cars is still searching for his replacement.
A Stellantis media representative declined to comment. Bonnefont and Jackson did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Chairman John Elkann, who heads a 10-member executive committee that is currently overseeing Stellantis, has tried to patch relations with dealers and governments in the weeks after Tavares’ ouster. The manufacturer is currently rushing to bolster its offering of hybrid vehicles, the sources said.
Richard Palmer, the former chief financial officer who is now a special adviser to Elkann, is working closely with his boss to determine the group’s shortcomings and who may be best placed to tackle them as CEO, the sources said.
Stellantis was created in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA Group. Elkann wants the company on the path of recovery before selecting a new chief executive, the sources said. The appointment is expected in the second quarter, although the timing could still change, they said.
Stellantis has in recent weeks announced investments in both Italy and the US, where the automaker plans to produce a new mid-size pickup. Days after Elkann met with President Donald Trump, the company recommitted to building the truck at an idled plant in Belvidere, Illinois, and bringing back 1,500 union workers. BLOOMBERG
