Power List 100 2023 - Brand frontrunners

Below the public-facing CEO is a hotbed of talent; they wield their own power, and have their own influence

Everyone knows the CEO of the company, the person who sits at the helm and makes all the major decisions that shape the firm’s future.

But, below them is a hotbed of talent, the brand frontrunners, that wield their own power both within the company and outside. They make decisions on strategic direction and technology sourcing. 

We recognise the achievements of those within the Power List 100, sponsored by Keyloop. Within this list will come the future overall leaders of the automotive industry.

*Power List 100 2023 - Brand frontrunners*

-*Ted Cannis, CEO Ford Pro*-

As overseer of Ford’s global business brand, Ted Cannis wields considerable influence at Ford HQ. With an exceptional line-up of commercial vehicles (Ranger, F-Series, Transit) to back him, Cannis is busy demonstrating the profitability of connected services to its hundreds of thousands of government and commercial customers. This year, he has also been put in charge of the Ford Customer Service Division, which handles global parts, services, accessories and vehicle customisation for all of Ford. 

-*Thierry Koskas, Stellantis CSMO, Citroen CEO*-

In charge of sales and marketing for the whole of Stellantis, Thierry Koskas’s job is no small feat. Responsible for the growth of over a dozen brands including Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep and Vauxhall, Koskas, in his additional role as Citroen CEO, has been charged with reviving the French brand, whose sales and market share have dipped in recent years. No doubt his previous longstanding roles at French rival Renault stand him in good stead.

-*Antonio Filosa, CEO of Jeep*-

The new head of Jeep has big shoes to fill. Filosa succeeds former CEO Christian Meunier who steps down “to focus on personal interests”; over the past three years Meunier led one of the most dramatic transformations in the brand’s 80-year history. Filosa, previously chief operating officer of Stellantis South America, will now look to continue Jeep’s push to become a full-EV brand by 2030.

-*Ralf Brandstätter, head of China, Volkswagen Group*-

Previously in charge of Volkswagen Passenger Cars for a number of years, Ralf Brandstätter runs VW’s largest market by some distance in his role as head of China. As a market known for its competitiveness from homegrown brands (and Tesla), rapid change and unpredictable economy, Brandstätter’s success is absolutely vital for VW. A recent tie-up with Chinese firm Xpeng to co-develop two mid-sized VW EVs will bolster its plans there.

-*Thomas Schäfer, CEO VW brand, and board member for Brand Group Core*-

Since taking on the role last year, Thomas Schäfer has been firmly focused on making VW a brand consumers love again, following the dreaded Dieselgate and problems with its electric ID models. He’s already demonstrated he can change VW’s course quickly and effectively. However, there is much to be done; he is overseeing dramatic belt-tightening - to the tune of £8.6bn over the next three years - as the brand invests heavily in EV technology and production infrastructure. 

-*Jim Rowan, CEO Volvo Cars*-

In appointing Jim Rowan, former Dyson CEO, Volvo was looking for a different type of leader to replace Hakan Samuelsson’s hugely successful decade-long tenure. The Scotman’s belief that software and silicon leads the automotive race is one that much of the industry is only now catching up with. He has already opened a tech hub in Stockholm. Elsewhere, he is implementing major cost-cutting measures including office-based job losses.

-*Linda Jackson, CEO Peugeot*-

After six years as Citroën CEO and a year in charge of brand portfolio development at the PSA Group, Linda Jackson was always going to be a key player in Stellantis’s executive line-up. Inheriting ascending Peugeot, which accounts for a fifth of Stellantis’s global volume, Jackson is securing the French brand’s success by growing it internationally and improving customer service. The Peugeot 208 was Europe’s biggest selling car last year. 

-*Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO Alfa Romeo*-

The effervescent Frenchman turned Peugeot around, crucially with healthy profit margins. Throw in his 30 years of experience, much of it around sales and quality control, and Imparato was deemed the right man to work his magic at Alfa Romeo. He’s already made Alfa in the black once more, and sales are increasing too, helped significantly by the Tonale small SUV. He is also overseeing stricter quality processes.

-*Olivier Francois, CEO Fiat, Stellantis global chief marketing officer*-

Fiat’s Olivier Francois is a rare sight at Stellantis: he kept his job as brand boss when the auto powerhouse brought together FCA and PSA (and took on the top marketing job). It’s been a tumultuous 12 years in power for Francois, but now with his leadership and the right backing, Fiat is starting to shine once more. Last year, it comfortably beat Peugeot to be Stellantis’s biggest selling brand, with Europe and South America its key markets. The 500e is also doing very well.

-*Florian Huettl, CEO Vauxhall/Opel*-

It was a rapid rise for Floian Huettl who had not long been head of sales and marketing at Opel/Vauxhall before he was given the top job in May last year. Sales and market share were down last year, due to ‘transportation issues’ but Huettl is still leading a profitable brand whose heritage and model line-up remains an important piece of the Stellantis puzzle. Various awards for the latest Astra will have helped Huettl’s reign.

-*Denis Le Vot, CEO Dacia *-

Dacia’s ebullient leader is riding high after phenomenal success in Europe last year, which saw the Renault-owned brand gain its highest market share yet at 7.6%, against a wider market downturn. Capitalising on the increasing need for affordable car ownership, Le Vot is expanding Dacia’s electrified offering, including introducing the Spring EV to the UK in 2024. Earlier this year, he was added to Renault Group’s overall leadership team, cementing his influence further.

-*Ho Sung Song, President and CEO, Kia*-

Appointed in March 2020, Ho Sung Song has managed to achieve what many of his peers didn’t: a strong semiconductor supply. That, plus a forward-looking line-up of largely electric cars, meant Kia sales grew to 2.9 million units in 2022, up 4.6% year-on-year. Since his arrival, Kia has transformed its logo, product, design and strategy; its subsequent success makes Sung Song a major global player.

*How are the 100 names in Autocar's Power List chosen?*

The Power List ranks is made up of the world's 100 most influential automotive heads, based on the following criteria: global reach and influence, spending power, share of voice, technological influence, future growth potential and market capitalisation. 

The top 10 are ranked and the remaining 90 names on the list are grouped into categories, including executives from more traditional car makers to the rising powerhouses from China and the latest technology and mobility companies. 

These names were chosen by the editors of Autocar Business, the B2B product from the publisher of Autocar, designed to bring industry readers even closer to the inner workings and key players of the global automotive industry.

The full list will be available to download on 18 October.