Peugeot Family Chooses Continuity On Stellantis Board

The Peugeot family has made its decision, and it’s one rooted in stability rather than change. As Stellantis continues to navigate a challenging global auto market and an evolving leadership structure, the French automotive dynasty has opted to extend Robert Peugeot’s mandate on the Stellantis Board of Directors for what is expected to be his final term.

Robert Peugeot, now 75, is set to be nominated at the company’s 2026 annual shareholders’ meeting for an additional two-year term. That decision came after internal competition from another eighth-generation family member, Xavier Peugeot, who had also put his name forward for the role. In the end, the family chose experience, continuity, and institutional memory over a generational shift.

This matters because Stellantis isn’t just another automaker. Formed in 2021 from the merger of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the company oversees 14 global brands. While the deal was billed as a “merger of equals,” the balance of influence inside the company has continued to evolve ever since.

Robert Peugeot has been part of that story from the beginning. He joined the Stellantis board at the time of the merger and currently serves as Vice Chairman alongside Chairman John Elkann, the heir to Italy’s Agnelli family and the public face of Stellantis’ largest shareholder. Robert was directly involved in negotiating the original PSA-FCA deal, giving him deep ties to both sides of the corporate family tree.

Xavier Peugeot, 61, represents a different chapter. He currently leads Stellantis’ DS Automobiles brand and also oversees the company’s heritage operations. Internally, he was seen as a candidate who could push for a stronger French voice within Stellantis governance, especially as the company’s center of gravity has leaned more toward Italy and North America in recent years.

That shift has become more noticeable following executive upheaval over the past year, including the departure of longtime CEO Carlos Tavares and the arrival of Antonio Filosa at the helm. With leadership transitions already underway, the Peugeot family appears to have decided that now is not the time for internal disruption.

From a numbers standpoint, the influence gap is real. The Agnelli family’s holding company, Exor, controls roughly 15.5% of Stellantis and holds two board seats. The Peugeot family, through its investment arm, owns about 7.7% and has just one seat. While an exception could slightly allow the Peugeots to increase their stake under certain conditions, the family has so far favored diversification over doubling down on automotive ownership.