Amid a series of leadership changes to its North American operations, Stellantis brought Timothy Kuniskis back from retirement to serve as Ram Trucks’ CEO once more. Though he only retired in May of this year, Kuniskis will once again lead the division for the foreseeable future.

A Sudden Resignation Means New Leadership

Following the sudden resignation of Stellantis global CEO Carlos Tavares on December 1, the automaker has initiated leadership changes in several of its brands, one of these being Kuniskis’ reappointment. Preceding his resignation, Tavares had come under scrutiny after the automaker reported two consecutive quarters of declining profits and a sinking market share in North America despite respectable sales in 2023.

Declining Profit in 2024 and Subsequent Change

Stellantis reported a net profit of $19.6 billion in 2023, with the company’s consolidated vehicle shipments growing by about 7%. However, the automaker’s net profit in the first half of 2024 fell by 48% year over year, leading the company to take corrective actions, including these recent leadership changes.

In February, Jeff Kommor was appointed SVP of commercial sales. He was responsible for growing the automaker’s fleet, government and B2B vehicle sales. He previously served as head of United States sales for Stellantis and, during this period of leadership change, was appointed head of North American sales.

In October, Stellantis named Antonio Filosa the COO of Jeep, in addition to his existing duties as CEO. He succeeded Carlos Zarlenga, who had only held the position for about eight months. Stellantis replaced its former CFO, Natalie Knight, with Doug Ostermann after she left the company just over a year after her appointment.

Another move was to reposition Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell into a dual role overseeing both Chrysler and Alfa Romeo. Feuell previously served as head of both Ram Trucks and Chrysler before this leadership change. She takes over Alfa Romeo from North American brand leader Larry Dominique, who is leaving the company.

“Tim is back effective Monday [Dec. 9],” a Stellantis representative told Car and Driver. “We made a few other organizational moves on Monday. For example, we combined retail sales and commercial/fleet sales into one department, with Jeff Kommor as the lead. The changes will enable us to operate in a structure that will drive the best outcomes for the region, unlock significant potential, and win in the market; a critical lever to accomplish that is a dedicated CEO for the Ram brand who is singularly focused on that brand.”

Kuniskis’ History With Stellantis

Kuniskis has an extensive history at Stellantis and over thirty years of leadership experience. During this time, he held various executive-level positions but was eventually named global head of Alfa Romeo in February 2018 and head of passenger cars for Stellantis’ North American operations in 2019. He then led the Fiat, Jeep, and Maserati brands in North America before becoming Dodge’s CEO in January 2021.

Ram’s Current State in the Automotive Market

During Q3 of this year, Ram’s vehicle shipments fell 36% year over year in North America, while net revenues fell 42%. Ram’s sales were relatively strong in the quarter amid a highly competitive auto market, into which Kuniski is making his return as head of the company.

According to Automotive Dive, “Commercial sales of heavy-duty Ram trucks in the U.S., which includes the 2500 and 3500 models, increased by 26% year over year in Q3, while the brand’s light-duty retail sales increased 11% from Q2.”

Apparently, Tim is excited to return as Ram CEO, telling Automotive News, “I missed the fight. I was bored, and I missed the fight.”