Detroit has long been the engine of Stellantis NV’s US business, home to brands like Jeep and Dodge that once defined American muscle and grit. Now it’s the center of a corporate identity crisis.

(Reuters) -Automaker Stellantis on Wednesday named Antonio Filosa, the Italian head of its North American operations, as its CEO, effective from June 23. Filosa succeeds Carlos Tavares, who quit the group in December after sharp drops in profits and sales raised questions about his management.

After months of searching and analyzing both internal and external candidates, Stellantis has announced the selection of Carlos Tavares' successor. Antonio Filosa has been unanimously chosen by the board as the new CEO of the company.

It’s a very complex business but it ends with just one thing, a customer that is happy to buy our cars. We need to find more of those,” he said. Sounds simple, but the next CEO’s first and most difficult task will be to decide which of the automaker's 14 brands to drop and which to shrink.

Internal hire Antonio Filosa will tackle a bevy of issues when he takes over next month — from tariffs, to EVs, to weak U.S. sales.

Italian executive Antonio Filosa assumes top position after leading Stellantis operations in North and South America