Tim Kuniskis Cuts Retirement Short, Returns to Stellantis as Ram CEO

Tim Kuniskis recently announced his return to Stellantis as CEO of Ram after a quick six-month retirement. He reportedly rejoined the Stellantis team on Monday, December 9, just a week after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares abruptly resigned from the company.

Kuniskis reportedly said that after over three-decades in the industry, stopping his work so abruptly was difficult; “Retirement was enjoyable for about two weeks, but then you’re bored to death.”

Kuniskis retired earlier this year in late-May following 32 years with Chrysler/Stellantis. He had spent the last three years as the CEO of Dodge and Ram. When Kuniskis first became CEO of Dodge in 2011, the brand was repositioned for its high-performance offerings, especially leaning on its legendary Hemi V8.

Whether Tim Kuniskis’ return is connected with Tavares’ sudden departure from the brand is unknown, but there was certainly some suspected tension between the Stellantis brand bosses, most notably regarding differing opinions around the decision to dismiss the Hemi V8-powered Dodge Challenger and Charger models despite the brand’s promise to switch to electric power.

“We made a few other organizational moves on Monday,” a Stellantis representative wrote as part of a reply to Car and Driver’s request for more information on Kuniski’s return. “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 discussed his thoughts on Tuesday, December 10, during a media backgrounder as he reassembled his team two days into the job, affirming that positive change is on the horizon for Stellantis.

“I missed the fight. I was bored and I missed the fight.” Kuniskis said. And fight he shall, because Ram has had a tough year. The brand’s U.S. sales fell by 24 percent through the first nine months of 2024.

 “Let’s be perfectly honest: We are getting our ass kicked. You see all the numbers, but it’s going to change. It’s getting better, and it’s going to change.”

Kuniskis also spoke about the company’s backlog of truck orders for the updated 2025 RAM 1500; “We should have been fully ramped up on that truck at the beginning of the summer,” he said, adding, “We’re still barely getting RHOs, Tungstens, and the full line out into the dealer network right now—I don’t even have my RHO yet.”

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