Automaker Stellantis is taking a page from Silicon Valley’s “hardcore” culture when it comes to remote work.
CEO Antonio Filosa told staff at a Friday all-hands that Stellantis could take inspiration from AI and software startups after it announced a five-day office return policy, according to a transcript an employee shared with Business Insider.
Responding to an employee question about the RTO mandate, Filosa said he was further convinced about the benefits of in-office work by a trip to San Francisco at the start of the year, according to the transcript, the accuracy of which was confirmed to Business Insider by four other Stellantis employees.
Filosa told employees that he connected with multiple software companies during the trip and saw many people working in the office.
He singled out a visit to AI startup Applied Intuition, which partners with Stellantis to develop vehicle infotainment systems, and said he was impressed by the software company’s engineers working and collaborating full-time in the office.
Stellantis, which is a much larger company, should be just as focused on in-office collaboration, Filosa said, adding that he wanted employees to work together.
A spokesperson for Stellantis told Business Insider that the company does not comment on internal business meetings.
Stellantis, whose US brands include Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram, as well as European automakers Fiat and Peugeot, told US employees late last month that they would be required to work five days in the office from March 30, Business Insider first reported. Employees outside the US are also set to return to the office full-time, but timing will vary by location.
The auto conglomerate was an early champion of remote work and introduced policies in 2022 allowing white-collar employees to work from home 70% of the time. Last year, it called staff back into the office at least three days a week.
Rival automaker Ford has also tightened its rules on remote work in recent months, calling employees back to the office at least four days a week and warning some they could face termination if they don’t comply.
The crackdown echoes that of the tech industry, with companies like Amazon and Meta enforcing return-to-office requirements in recent years as part of a “hardcore” work culture that also emphasizes performance and efficiency.
Filosa’s town hall came as the former Jeep head, who was appointed Stellantis CEO in June 2025, battles to turn the company around after years of declining US sales.
Stellantis’ stock price tumbled as much as 25% on Friday after the company reported a $26 billion charge as it resets its EV strategy amid an industry-wide demand slump.
Do you work at Stellantis or have any information to share? Get in touch with this reporter at tcarter.41 on Signal or [email protected].
Read the full article here
