Stellantis has brought Timothy Kuniskis back from retirement as CEO of Ram effective immediately as part of another broad wave of leadership changes across its North American operations, company spokesperson Shawn Morgan confirmed in an email to Automotive Dive .
Kuniskis, who retired in May, will once again lead the Ram brand. In another move, Chrysler Chief Executive Christine Feuell, who was appointed to the dual role of Ram chief on June 1 following Kuniskis’ retirement, will now oversee Chrysler and Alfa Romeo, Morgan said. He takes over at Alfa Romeo from Larry Dominique, who led the brand in North America, but is leaving the automaker.
“Yesterday’s changes will allow us to operate in a structure that will deliver the best outcomes for the region, unlock significant potential and win in the marketplace,” the company said in a statement. “A major lever for the Ram brand is to have its CEO singularly focused on that brand.”
The return of Kuniskis follows the sudden resignation of Stellantis global CEO Carlos Tavares on December 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 strong sales in 2023.
Before his retirement in May, Kuniskis had held the position various executive level positions in his over three decades of 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 too he led the Fiat, Jeep and Maserati brands for North America before being named CEO of Dodge in January 2021.
Stellantis reported net profit of 18.6 billion euros ($19.6 billion) in 2023, with consolidated vehicle shipments growing 7%. But this momentum did not extend into 2024. The automaker’s net profit in the first half of 2024 fell 48% year over year, which led the company to lower its full-year forecast and initiate a series of corrective actions that included sweeping leadership changes in recent months.
In October, Stellantis named Antonio Filosa COO of Jeep, adding to his duties as CEO of the brand. He succeeded Carlos Zarlenga, who has held the position since February. Stellantis also replaced its CFO, appointing Doug Ostermann in his place Natalie Knight, who left the company after just over a year in the position.
Kuniski’s return to Stellantis as head of Ram comes after the automaker’s vehicle shipments fell 36% year over year in North America in the third quarter, while its net revenue fell 42% as the company navigates a highly competitive automotive market. However, despite the decline, Ram brand sales were relatively strong in the quarter.
U.S. commercial sales of Ram heavy-duty trucks, which include the 2500 and 3500 models, rose 26% year-over-year in the third quarter, while retail sales of the brand’s light-duty vehicles increased 11% from the second quarter.
In addition to the new leadership changes, Stellantis has named Jeff Kommor as head of sales for North America. In the month of February, was named SVP of commercial sales and was responsible for the automaker’s fleet growth, government and other B2B vehicle sales. Kommor previously served as head of U.S. sales for Stellantis.