Dodge brand boss Tim Kuniskis has returned to Stellantis after retiring in June. He’ll take charge of Ram, the automaker announced Monday. It’s just one of the first steps in what could be a much broader management shake-up to follow the unexpected resignation of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares earlier this month.
Prior to his June retirement, Kuniskis oversaw both the Dodge and Ram brands, He will focus on Ram this time.
The unexpected resignation by Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares earlier this month appears to be triggering a broader shake-up in the corporate ranks, notably within the company’s troubled North American operations.
Tim Kuniskis, the one-time rising star who himself left the company last June, is making his return. Previously in charge of the Dodge brand and the architect of its focus on muscle cars, the 57-year-old Kuniskis on Monday became the new head of the Ram brand.
It’s just one in a series of newly announcedmoves within the senior ranks at Stellantis – a shake-up likely to continue, according to various sources in or near the company who spoke to Headlight.News.
Tavares departure triggers some big changes
CEO Carlos Tavares earlier this year acknowledged his own “arrogance” may have delayed the response to declining sales and earnings.
The departure of a CEO, especially one under fire, as was the case with Tavares, often leads to a broader management shake-up. But the timing of Monday’s announcement nonetheless took some observers unprepared.
“I’m not surprised there’s a change in management,” said Stephanie Brinley, principal auto analyst with S&P Global Mobility. “But you’d almost think they’d wait until they first decide who the new CEO will be.”
Stellantis issued a statement on December 2 revealing that Tavares was resigning “with immediate effect.” But the company also noted that it was not expecting to name his replacement until sometime during the “first half of 2025.” It wasn’t event made completely clear who would oversee day-to-day operations, though it was implied that Stellantis Chairman John Elkann would be overseeing things during the transition period – among other things, leading the search for Tavares’ replacement.
North America in the crosshairs
An all-new version of the Ram 1500 hasn’t lived up to expectations since its launch for 2024.
In the first two years after Stellantis was formed through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France’s Group PSA things seemed to be going well, with strong sales and earnings and the company on target to meet Tavares’ projected savings of $9 billion through corporate synergies.
Things took a turn for the worse this past year. Net profits at Stellantis were off by nearly 50% for the first half of this year.. In September Stellantis lowered its full-year guidance, net revenue subsequently falling 27% year-over-year for the third quarter. Much of the problem was centered in North America, where demand was down 20% for the third quarter, the most recent period for which Stellantis has reported sales.
The downturn has triggered a series of changes. Along with Kuniskis, several other senior executives were forced out, including Jim Morrison, the long-time head of the Jeep brand. He was replaced at the SUV brand by Antonio Filosa who, just before Tavares resigned, added the title of North American chief operating officer.
The changes announced Monday are meant to “unlock the potential” of Stellantis’ North American operations, it’s biggest revenue and profit center, said U.S. corporate spokesperson Shawn Morgan. It will “drive the best outcomes for the region,” she added.
More Stellantis News
- Shake-up Sends Once-Rising Stellantis Star Kuniskis into Retirement
- CEO Carlos Tavares’ Resignation Leaves Stellantis Rudderless
- Brand Boss Christine Fuell Bills Halcyon Concept as Chrysler’s EV Future
Counting on Kuniskis
Kuniskis (r) delivered the first of a limited-run of Dodge muscle cars to comedian Jay Leno last August 2023.
In his new role, Kuniskis will be “the main lever” in the effort to bring back Ram which has seen a sharp slump in sales this year, despite launching a completely new version of its big Ram 1500 pickup. It has traditionally been the third best-selling vehicle in North America though it has even nudged past the Chevrolet Silverado at times over the past decade.
Kuniskis oversaw both the Ram brand and Dodge brands immediately before taking a brief retirement. But it was at Dodge that the executive made his name. He oversaw its transformation from an unfocused collection of products into a marque dedicated to performance models. It earned a reputation as the premier muscle car brand with vehicles like the Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcat editions — which delivered over 700 horsepower, overpowering competitors like the Ford Mustang and now-abandoned Chevrolet Camaro.
Kuniskis also helped set in motion the risky decision to put those muscle cars through a complete makeover. Using a new “multi-energy platform,” the Dodge Charger Daytona will return in all-electric form in the coming weeks, though a pair of gas-powered versions will follow. The Challenger nameplate is currently on hiatus, though insiders have hinted it may also come back in EV form.
While the ouster of some company officials, including Jeep’s Morrison, appeared to come as punishment for weakening sales, Kuniskis’ retirement came as a surprise, several colleagues told Headlight.News. His return also comes unexpectedly, though one exec who had remained close to Kuniskis said the former Dodge boss was “bored” and looking for a new challenge.
All the changes – so far
Kuniskis was a force behind the development of the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona.
Kuniskis’ new assignment could have left another Stellantis veteran in limbo. Chris Fuell had previously taken on Ram, along with her title as CEO of the struggling Chrysler brand. She now will oversee both Chrysler and the U.S. operations of Italian-based Alfa Romeo.
That left industry veteran Larry Dominique out in the cold. He had been brought to Stellantis by Tavares and originally was charged with finding out if the Paris-based Peugeot could return to the States after a three-decade absence. That effort was abandoned and Dominique was given responsibility for Alfa. He now is leaving the company.
Meanwhile, Jeff Kommor will return to his former job overseeing U.S. sales. Last February he’d been given a new assignment overseeing commercial vehicle sales in North America. Matt Thompson, currently the U.S. sales chief will now focus on sales strategy and planning.
While Stellantis isn’t ready to discuss other plans, there’s widespread speculation inside the company that we will see more moves in the weeks and months to come. The question is whether the automaker might delay such moves until it can run them by its next CEO, the search for that position just getting fully ramped up.
The 2025 RAM 1500 just won Motor Trend Truck of the year so to say it was underwhelming is apparently not true. They stated that it eclipses the competition in almost every metric.
As a long-time juror for the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards, I can tell you about numerous winners over nearly a quarter-century that failed to generate much enthusiasm in the market. Not to belittle Motor Trend but they’ve made some curious choices over the decades, such as the Renault Alliance. And, like NACTOY, even some truly meritorious winners posted far from stellar results in the marketplace. The decision to abandon the Hemi option for the Ram just doesn’t sit well with some potential buyers, and there are other updates that aren’t necessarily clicking in the marketplace — even though they’re solid with reviewers.
FYI, Ram 1500 is a NACTOY finalist and, based on preliminary canvasing of my fellow jurors, it may win there, as well. Such awards tend to get promoted by manufacturers. But while they can fire up the market, that doesn’t always work. Let’s see what happens in 2025.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Editor, Headlight.News