Effective 23 June, Filosa takes the wheel of one of the world’s largest carmakers, with full CEO powers already granted by the Board. And if that sounds like a tall order, Filosa has been doing hot laps around this track for more than 25 years.

As Chief Operating Officer of South America, Filosa took the FIAT brand and launched it into a market-leading orbit, before doing the same for Peugeot, Citroën, Ram, and Jeep.

One of his biggest wins was the creation of Stellantis’ Pernambuco plant in Brazil. It became the launchpad for Jeep’s regional dominance. Brazil is now Jeep’s biggest market outside of the U.S.

Then came the role of Jeep CEO, where Filosa steered the brand’s international strategy and welcomed the Jeep Avenger in Europe.

Fast forward to December 2024, and Filosa took on the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Americas. He slashed bloated inventories, reshuffled leadership, rebooted product pipelines, and opened meaningful lines of communication with dealers, suppliers, and unions.

A special committee of Stellantis’ Board, led by Executive Chairman John Elkann, scoured both internal and external candidates before unanimously giving Filosa the nod. Elkann himself had this to say, “Antonio’s deep understanding of our Company, including its people who he views as our core strength, and of our industry equip him perfectly for the role of Chief Executive Officer in this next and crucial phase of Stellantis’ development.”

Vice Chairman Robert Peugeot echoed that sentiment, “His track record of successful leadership during his many years with our Company speaks for itself. He’s a natural choice to become Stellantis’ next CEO.”

Even Nicolas Dufourcq, CEO of Bpifrance, one of Stellantis’ key investors, chimed in with support, “Antonio Filosa has the knowledge, the experience, and the talent to lead Stellantis to new successes.”

“It is my great honour to be named the CEO of this fantastic Company,” Antonio Filosa said. “I have always been inspired by the immense talent, passion and commitment of our people at Stellantis. We have the world’s best and most iconic brands in automotive history and an over 100-year heritage of innovation.”

Come 23 June, with Filosa at the helm and a new leadership team set to be unveiled shortly thereafter, the company enters a new chapter. 

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Marcel steps into the role following the impactful tenure of Claudius Steinhoff, whose leadership has been transformative for the brand in Singapore.

With over 13 years of experience in the luxury automotive industry, Marcel Luis Mustelier Perez brings a depth of knowledge; he has held several key positions within the Mercedes-Benz organisation across various countries, playing a critical role in expanding the Passenger Cars business as a National Sales Manager.

Marcel’s career has also been marked by his efforts in establishing a new division focused on innovation in direct sales, omnichannel commerce, and data management, all of which have significantly contributed to Mercedes-Benz’s global digital transformation.

“I am truly honoured to take on the role of President and CEO at Mercedes-Benz Singapore during such an exciting and pivotal time for the automotive industry,” Marcel said. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Claudius and leading our team to continue driving innovation, sustainability, and excellence in the local luxury automotive market.”

In his new role, Marcel will oversee the Sales & Marketing operations for Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans in Singapore, as well as lead the Center of Competence responsible for steering general distributor markets in Southeast Asia. His responsibilities will also extend to regional functions, including IT, Treasury, Legal, and HR.

As Marcel steps in, Claudius Steinhoff will be moving on to a new assignment in South Africa, where he will take on the role of Executive Director and Co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa Ltd.

Claudius leaves behind a remarkable legacy, having led Mercedes-Benz Singapore since October 2020. During his tenure, the company successfully introduced fully electric models across every segment it serves locally, helping Mercedes-Benz become the top-selling automotive brand in Singapore in 2022 and the best-selling luxury brand in 2023. Under Claudius’ leadership, Mercedes-Benz Singapore not only strengthened its market position but also played a pivotal role in advancing local discussions on sustainability.

Mercedes-Benz Singapore extends its deepest gratitude to Claudius for his exceptional leadership and warmly welcomes Marcel as he embarks on this new journey.

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In today’s fast-paced coroporate world, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) tend not to hang around for very long. So, it is remarkable when one has managed to helm a company such as Rolls-Royce as long as Torsten Müller has.

Mr Müller, 63 is set to retire at the end of November after 14 years as Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Since joining the company as CEO in 2010, he has overseen the development and launch of entirely new model lines including the fully electric Spectre, the brand’s first-ever SUV, the Cullinan, as well as the Wraith coupé, and the Dawn convertible.

These new models have brought Rolls-Royce into the 21st Century relevance and created new interpretations of ultra-lux motoring. Torsten also launched Black Badge, the edgier, more subversive Rolls-Royce alter-ego, conceived and launched – a bold venture that has broadened the brand’s appeal significantly. Under the German’s leadership, the average age of Rolls-Royce customers has reduced significantly from 56 to just 43.

Commenting on his retirement, Torsten said, “Leading Rolls-Royce for almost 14 years has been the greatest privilege and pleasure of my professional life. To have grown the company and its world-class people to the position it is in today, at the pinnacle of the luxury industry, has been a remarkable adventure. I am proud of the role my exceptional team and I have played in contributing significantly to the UK economy and to the global recognition of Britain’s ability to produce the world’s best luxury products.”

Along with the new model lines, Torsten also rejuvenated the brand by embracing new technologies such as the Whispers app – a digital members’ club reserved for those who own a Goodwood-era Rolls-Royce. 

Torsten said, “Whether in person or virtually on Whispers, spending so much time with our clients – the inspirational people upon whom the marque is built – has been one of my greatest joys and a true education, giving me a clear, unique and finely attuned understanding of how luxury is defined around the world.”

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been part of BMW Group since 2003 marking a new era for the brand. Oliver Zipse, BMW Group Chief Executive, said, “Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a jewel in the crown of our organisation. Torsten’s outstanding leadership, unswerving commitment, clear vision and exceptional ability to build a strong, focused team have helped make Rolls-Royce the world-class luxury brand it is today. We wish him the very best for his future endeavours.”

On 30 November, Torsten will be replaced by Chris Brownridge, currently CEO of BMW UK, a position he has held since 2021.

Commenting on his appointment, Oliver Zipse said, “Chris Brownridge is a hugely experienced professional with a tremendous track record – I am sure he will build on Rolls-Royce’s success and guide Rolls-Royce Motor Cars onwards into its all-electric future.”

Chris, a sales and marketing expert, spent almost 30 years with the BMW Group, starting as a graduate in 1995. Prior to his current position of CEO, Chris has been a member of the UK Board in various roles since 2011, including Sales Director BMW UK, BMW UK Marketing and MINI Regional Director for UK and Ireland. 

Chris said, “I’m both honoured and humbled by my new appointment. To be invited to lead this great British brand, at such a pivotal moment in its long and remarkable story, is an extraordinary privilege. Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s most recognised, desirable and influential brands, and I’m keenly aware of the enormous affection and esteem in which it’s held. It’s a tribute to its magnificent products, the close relationships it maintains with its clients and, above all, to the exceptional team I’m about to join. I’m also conscious of the incredible heritage of which we are the proud custodians, and that everything we do builds on and adds to that unique legacy.”

Torsten’s legacy at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is already being compared to being as significant as the contributions of Claude Johnson, the company’s first Managing Director who famously described himself as the “hyphen in Rolls-Royce”.

This was not unfoudned as it was Claude who is credited as the one who literally connected Charles Rolls with Henry Royce, leading the pair to found the iconic brand.

Torsten will leave Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in a stronger position than when he arrived. In 2010, Rolls-Royce produced just two model lines, the Phantom and the Ghost. Today, he has transformed the brand into a true luxury powerhouse that contributes over half a billion pounds (SGD 834million) a year to the British economy. It is also one of the largest employers in West Sussex: the exceptional team working at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood has grown from around 300 to more than 2,500, with over 50 nationalities represented.  

Further commenting on today’s announcement, Torsten said, “I believe the company is ready to embrace the future with all its opportunities. We have recently submitted our plans to extend our Goodwood site significantly in order to accommodate not only further electric production, but also to fulfil demand for even more Bespoke and Coachbuild products. These areas of our business truly set us apart, and I am exceptionally proud of them. 

As I leave Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, I look forward to the opportunity for new professional challenges, as well as having a little more time to visit the world’s great fly-fishing rivers! I wish Chris Brownridge the very best as he takes the helm of this wonderful marque. The team we have built over the last 14 years includes some of the most talented, dedicated and innovative minds in the luxury and automotive industries. I’m confident that, together, they will add further remarkable chapters to the extraordinary story of a company like no other in the world.”

For more Rolls-Royce content, checkout the Phantom Inspired by Cinque Terre here.

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The 66-year-old businessman is the grandson of Toyota’s founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. He made this sudden announcement following news that Toyoda will become the Japanese automaker’s new chairman of the board of directors. Koji Sato, who is also Toyota’s Chief Branding Officer, is set to take over the CEO reins.

This announcement did ruffle a few feathers. Enthusiasts were one such demographic who were disappointed, as Toyoda was the man who championed bringing back exciting cars to the mass market. This culminated in Gazoo Racing cars like the GR Yaris and fifth-generation Supra.

His time in office wasn’t the most smooth sailing. But, through it all, he managed to position Toyota in an advantageous spot come the turn of the new decade.

Motorsports for Toyota has never been greater too, and the Japanese firm had their work cut out for them participating in events like the Nürburgring 24 Hours race and FIA World Rally Championship. Toyoda even got into a race suit on occasion, racing under his racing pseudonym Morizo, with his most recent outing being a Toyota sustainable endurance race.

On the flip side, Toyoda’s reluctance towards investing in battery electric strategies was met with resistance from environmental shareholders. Some were critical of Toyota for being slow to innovate.

In a world where other manufacturers are pushing out EVs by the dozen, Toyoda lamented that selling EVs is not the only way forward in creating a carbon-neutral society, hence Toyota’s push and innovations for alternatives such as hydrogen and hybrid technologies. He wants to give customers the freedom to choose.

With Koji Sato now in the hot seat, the Toyota Motor Corporation may finally meet its yin-yang balance. Lexus has already begun to shift its priorities towards electrification with the Lexus Electrified strategy, which aims to create a full battery EV (BEV) lineup by 2030, and turn into manufacturing 100% EVs by 2035.

Don’t you worry enthusiasts, Sato is also a car enthusiast at heart, and he is the current chairperson of the Gazoo Racing sub-brand. Suffice to say, Toyota will be in good hands.

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