Italian businessman Amedeo Felisa has been the CEO of Aston Martin since May 2022. Before that, he was CEO of Ferrari from 2008 to 2016, while the company was a subsidiary of Fiat.
- Earnings - $1.5 million
- Year Hired - 2022
Felisa had been with Ferrari for nearly 26 years.
Toshihiro Mibe became President, CEO, and Representative Director of Honda Motor Co. in April 2021. Before this, he held the role of Senior Managing Director at Honda Motor Co. from June 2020, while serving concurrently as President and Representative Director of Honda R&D Co – since 2019.
- Earnings - $2.4 million
- Year Hired - 2021
Mibe joined Honda in 1987 with humble beginnings in automobile research and development, mainly focusing on engine development.
In 2020, Song Ho-Sung was appointed as the CEO of Kia. With his exemplary leadership skills, he hopes to lead the brand into the future.
- Earnings - $4 million
- Year Hired - 2020
Prior to his position, he led as President of Kia Motors Europe and Head of Kia Motors Corporation Export Planning Group. Song has an undergraduate degree from Yonsei University.
The CEO of Nissan Motors, Makoto Uchida, is a Japanese businessman with a degree in Theology. He joined Nissan in 2003 and was made manager by 2006.
- Earnings - $4.6 million
- Year Hired - 2019
He then briefly left the company in 2012 to join Renault Samsung Motors, only to rejoin Nissan two years later. His executive career began when he assumed the role of Corporate vice president of the Alliance Purchasing department. In 2019, he was chosen unanimously as the new CEO.
German businessman Oliver Zipse has been the CEO of BMW since 2019. He has been credited with BMW’s push towards electric vehicles, ensuring that every plant in Europe is capable of producing both electric and conventional automobiles.
- Earnings - $5.6 million
- Year Hired - 2019
After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, he earned his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management in the US. Before becoming chairman of the board, he had served on the board of management of BMW AG since 2015.
Adrian assumed the role of Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Executive Officer in July 2023. Prior to his appointment, he served as JLR's Chief Financial Officer starting in June 2019.
- Earnings - $6 million
- Year Hired - 2023
However, he had been working for the company since 1990, holding various financially related positions and his nearly 30-year experience in the company made him a prime candidate as CEO.
After joining the Toyota Motor Corporation in 1992, Koji Sato served in various leadership positions for the Lexus and Toyota brands, as well as the GAZOO Racing Company.
- Earnings - $6.9 million
- Year Hired - 2023
In April 2023, Koji Sato became President and CEO of Toyota. The company is currently the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, producing around 10 million vehicles each year.
Benedetto Vigna is a physicist and business executive who has been serving as the CEO of Ferrari since 2021.
- Earnings - $7.3 million
- Year Hired - 2021
Prior to becoming CEO, Vigna was the inventor of a three-dimensional motion sensor applied to the airbags of automobiles, the same sensor that would go on to be used in the Nintendo Wii’s wireless controller.
The Swedish-German executive Ola Källenius serves as CEO of Mercedes-Benz and is the first non-German ever to hold that position.
- Earnings - $7.5 million
- Year Hired - 2019
Ola Källenius has been working with Mercedes since back in 1993, working under Daimler-Benz AG. Now, he looks to lead the company into its future as a strong advocate for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.
Oliver Blume is both the CEO of the Volkswagen Group and Porsche, two major German car brands.
- Earnings - $7.9 million
- Year Hired - 2015
After studying mechanical engineering at Braunschweig University of Technology, Blume graduated from Audi's international trainee program in 1994.
Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, is no descendant of Henry Ford, but his family has a history with the legendary entrepreneur. His grandfather worked at Henry Ford's River Rouge Plant in 1918.
- Earnings - $21 million
- Year Hired - 2020
Farley himself joined Ford in 2007. He had experience as the group vice president and general manager of Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand. In addition to working for Ford, he also serves as a board member of Harley-Davidson.
In January 2014, Mary Barra became the first woman CEO of an automobile manufacturer. She had been working with General Motors since 1980.
- Earnings - $29 million
- Year Hired - 2014
However, she was highly scrutinized in her first year as CEO when she issued 84 safety recalls affecting 30 million cars on the road. She was even called to testify over the faulty ignition switch scandal that resulted in multiple fatalities.
Although Jim Rowan has only been CEO since 2022, he’s had experience in leadership roles while working for Blackberry. His QNX software technology has been used in cars and at Dyson when they attempted to make an electric car.
- Earnings - $37 million
- Year Hired - 2022
As Rowan leads his company into the future, he’s working to develop Volvo’s very own operating system to be used in their cars, while still using Android for its infotainment system, according to a recent interview with The Verge.
Carlos Tavares is the CEO of the world’s fourth-largest automobile manufacturer - Stellantis. The giant corporation manufactures and sells 14 major car brands: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall.
- Earnings - $39.5 million
- Year Hired - 2014
Tavares began his career with Renault, eventually becoming the chief operating officer. Then, in 2014, he became CEO and chairman of the managing board of Groupe PSA, which in 2021 merged with Fiat Chrysler – thus forming Stellantis.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, became involved with the company in 2004, when he invested $6.5 million, making him the majority shareholder. As such, he joined Tesla's board of directors as chairman. Musk eventually assumed leadership in 2008 and became its product manager.
- Earnings - $55.8 billion
- Year Hired - 2008
Before Judge Kathleen McCormick’s ruling in the state of Delaware, Elon Musk received a pay package of over $55.8 billion more than any other automotive CEO combined. Ultimately, Tesla shareholder Richard Tornetta sued Musk for the unfathomable sum that he viewed as unfair to shareholders. The judge ruled in Tornetta’s favor, ordering that Musk’s pay package be rescinded.
