Sébastien Jacquet Named Stellantis’ New Chief Quality Officer

Stellantis is making significant leadership moves this month, and one of the most important changes has just become official: Sébastien Jacquet has been named the new Chief Quality Officer (CQO), succeeding Antonio Filosa as he prepares to become the company’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on June 23.

For those unfamiliar with Jacquet, he’s no rookie. The French-born executive has nearly 25 years of experience in the auto industry and was most recently Stellantis’ Deputy Chief Engineering and Technology Officer. He also held the title of Senior Vice President for Cross-Carline and Project Engineering, operating out of the company’s Paris hub. Simply put, he’s been deeply involved in vehicle development from all angles—including quality, engineering, and project planning.

What’s even more important is Jacquet’s key role in launching Stellantis’ first flexible “multi-energy” vehicle platform, known as STLA Medium, which debuted two years ago. That’s a significant development, especially with Stellantis trying to manage a range of vehicles, from gas to hybrid to fully electric, across multiple global markets.

Before Stellantis was even a thing, Jacquet spent years climbing the ladder at Groupe PSA, the French automaker that merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in 2021 to form the global giant we now know as Stellantis.

This promotion marks the first major leadership shift under Filosa, who’s currently wrapping up his duties as the automaker’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) for North America. He temporarily held the CQO title earlier this year. Still, with the CEO job about to become official, it makes sense to hand that responsibility off to someone with Jacquet’s background.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—Stellantis has had its share of quality concerns over the years, especially in the U.S. market. So Jacquet’s appointment comes at a critical time. Having someone who understands both the European and North American aspects of the business is a significant advantage, especially when product quality and customer satisfaction are top priorities.

Filosa has been on the road visiting plants and meeting employees, setting the stage for what could be a fresh direction for Stellantis in North America. He’s expected to announce more leadership appointments soon as he settles into the top job later this month.