Is Tesla run by Elon Musk? Who is the owner of BYD? – Here's who's who at the 10 biggest car manufacturers in the world
03/28/2025 03:00 PM
Some personalities could be described as being bigger than the car manufacturers themselves, but who is actually in charge of the largest car makers in the world? Here’s what we know.
Knowing who is in charge of running each of the car manufacturers in the world – especially now there are so many new ones – could be a full-time job in itself.
Add knowing who is in charge of each car maker in Australia to that, plus a lot of movement in the halls of power at these companies, and it's no surprise many of us can't keep up.
In a bizarre game of Guess Who? , here are the top 10 car manufacturers in the world and a bit about who is currently running them globally, as well as Down Under.
Volkswagen
Oliver Blume
Oliver Blume(pictured) is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Volkswagen Group, as well as CEO of Porsche AG.
He started his career in 1994 after completing an international training program with Audi, rising to be Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG in 2015 and Chairman of the entire Volkswagen Group in 2022, succeeding former boss Herbert Diess.
Karsten Seifert
The Volkswagen Group in Australia is headed up by Karsten Seifert, who has been in the role since October 2023. He is the managing director, succeeding Paul Sansom who left at the end of 2022 after only 11 months in the job.
Toyota
Koji Sato
Koji Sato (pictured) is the President and Member of the Board of Directors at Toyota in Japan.
He joined the major car brand back in 1992 as an engineer, working his way up to top-tier management at Lexus and Gazoo Racing before becoming CEO of the Toyota itself in 2023.
Matthew Callachor
Matthew Callachor has been the President and CEO of Toyota Australia since 2018.
Prior to then, he had an 18-month tenure as Toyota Australia’s Vice President responsible for the sales, marketing, product planning, corporate services and finance divisions, and has been at the company for more than 40 years.
Callachor became the first Australian executive to oversee a Lexus division in Japan when he was named general manager of global Lexus planning in 2014.
Stellantis
Now here's where things start to get a little tricky.
Stellantis is a multinational conglomerate made up of 14 car manufacturers, including the likes of Jeep, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Ram.
It officially came to be in 2021 following the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the Peugeot Societe Anonyme Group (PSA).
Why did Carlos Tavares leave Stellantis?
It is currently in the process of appointing a new CEO to replace Carlos Tavares (pictured), who left the company in December 2024. Tavares resigned abruptly two months after a profit warning was issued that it had lost around 40 per cent of its value last year, reports Reuters.
Tavares is also commonly credited with killing off the Hemi V8 with US news outlet CNBC reporting "everybody wanted to keep [Hemi] but Tavares told them "you need to be greener".
It's understood the Special Committee of the Board of Directors plans to announce the new CEO in the first half of 2025.
RELATED: Stellantis boss steps down amid sliding sales of Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Peugeot and others
Michael Filazzola
Michael Filazzola is the man in charge of Stellantis's local representation of car manufacturers.
He took the reins as Managing Director in early 2023, replacing Kevin Flynn, who decided to retire after 47 years in the automotive industry to spend more time with his family in South Africa.
Filazzola previously worked for Holden and General Motors in Australia and overseas from 1995 to 2019.
Mercedes-Benz
Ola Kallenius
Ola Kallenius (pictured) has been the Chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Group’s board of management since 2019, having first joined the board in 2015. He is also Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG in Germany.
Jaime Cohen
In Australia, Jaime Cohen is CEO of Mercedes-Benz, having previously spent five years as CEO of Mercedes-Benz Mexico, and as head of sales and marketing for Latin America.
Ford
Jim Farley
Jim Farley (pictured) has been the head of Ford since 2020, having worked his way up the ranks since joining the company in 2007.
He's currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford, President of Ford Model e, and a member of Ford's board of directors.
Since taking the helm, Farley has reorganised the business into three separate divisions: Ford Blue for internal combustion and hybrid vehicles, Ford Model e for electric cars, platforms and software, and Ford Pro for its commercial operations.
RELATED: Ford CEO drives Chinese electric car for six months 'and I don't want to give it up'
Prior to joining Ford in 2007, Farley was Group Vice President and General Manager of Lexus in the US.
In addition his work at Ford, Farley also serves on the board of directors of Harley-Davidson.
Andrew Birkic
Andrew Birkic is the President and CEO of Ford of Australia and New Zealand, having been appointed to the role in August 2020.
General Motors
Mary Barra
Mary Barra (pictured) has been the CEO of General Motors since 2014, and is the first woman to lead one of the US' 'big three' car manufacturers.
Even globally Barra continues to be a pioneer for women in the car industry. While there are a growing number of women in high-ranking roles, she remains the only female CEO of a leading car brand.
Barra started working for GM in 1980 as a student, initially under the Pontiac Motors division.
During her tenure, Barra has invested billions in developing electric vehicles and self-driving cars.
In addition to running GM, she also sits on the board of directors for the Walt Disney Company.
Jess Bala
Also leading the way for women is Jess Bala (pictured), who is the Managing Director of General Motors Australia and New Zealand.
Bala is the first female to hold the role and at 41 years old she is also the youngest to do so, as profiled here in a report by the AFR.
In Australia, it's no small job either – as well as running the day-to-day of the car manufacturers, Bala also has to operate in a market without the once vast and all-conquering Holden, as well as spearhead the local launch of GM's most prestigious brand – Cadillac.
Honda
Toshihiro Mibe
Toshihiro Mibe (pictured) is the president, CEO and representative director of Honda Motor Company, having assumed the position in April 2021.
Mibe joined Honda in 1987 and began his career in automobile research and development, focusing mainly on engine development.
Jay Joseph
Jay Joseph recently took over the leadership of Honda Australia as CEO and Director from predecessor Carolyn McMahon, who has gone on to head up Honda New Zealand and Yoshitaka Okamoto who has taken a senior motorsport management position with Honda in Japan.
Joseph, who was previously vice president of American Honda, has been with the firm for 27 years.
Tesla
Is Tesla run by Elon Musk?
There is a lot you could say about Elon Musk, but let's keep it simple.
Elon Musk leads Tesla as its co-founder and CEO, as well as being involved in numerous other companies including SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter.
He joined in 2004 as an early investor and became CEO and Product Architect in 2008.
Musk leads all product design, engineering and global manufacturing of the company’s electric vehicles, battery products and solar energy products, according to the company's website.
RELATED: Why Tesla owners are rebadging their cars
Since early 2025, Musk has also been a Senior Advisor to United States President Donald Trump and the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk is almost constantly making headlines due to his controversial remarks and behaviour, which currently are causing share prices to fall drastically and Teslas to be targeted for vandalism.
Robyn Denholm
Robyn Denholm (pictured) is another female leader in car manufacturers, taking over the role of Chairman of the Board of Tesla from Elon Musk in 2018.
The former accountant is also his boss, and theoretically, is the one responsible for keeping him in check.
Denholm was hand-picked by Musk to run Tesla's board and is the best-paid chairperson at any public company in the US.
In addition to her work at Tesla, Denholm owns Sydney's two professional basketball teams, and until recently served as the operating partner of Australia's biggest venture capital fund, reports the AFR.
Now one of Australia's wealthiest people – The Financial Review Rich List estimated her fortune at $673 million this year – Denholm grew up in Sydney's working-class suburbs where her family owned and operated a BP service station.
Thom Drew
Despite Denholm being Australian and heading up the global Tesla Board, Thom Drew is the Country Director (Motors) for Australia and New Zealand at Tesla.
Drew has held several roles with Tesla since 2014, previously having worked at Mercedes-Benz and sits on the Electric Vehicle Council.
Nissan
Ivan Espinosa
Ivan Espinosa (pictured) was promoted from Chief Planning Officer to CEO earlier this month and will officially take the reins from April 1 this year.
Espinosa succeeds Makoto Uchida as the latter was forced out following the breakdown of merger talks with fellow Japanese car maker Honda.
Nissan announced plans to merge with Honda back in December, but the process broke down between the car manufacturers in February when an agreement could not be reached.
RELATED: Honda and Nissan merger talks called off: Official
Espinosa, who is the fourth exec to lead Nissan in six years – including former chief Carlos Ghosn who famously fled Japan for Lebanon hidden in an audio equipment box – has a degree in mechanical engineering.
He joined Nissan Mexico in 2003, rising to become the head of product planning by 2006.
Since 2014, Espinosa has held senior global roles, including within the NISMO and motorsports portfolios.
Andrew Humberstone
Nissan announced Andrew Humberstone was taking over as Managing Director of Nissan Oceania in early 2024.
Prior to that, he led Nissan Great Britain as Managing Director for four years.
Before him, Adam Paterson had been MD since 2021.
Who is the owner of BYD?
Wang Chuanfu
Wang Chuanfu (pictured above left) is the Chairman and President of BYD, having led the brand to become one of the world’s largest electric car manufacturers since its creation in 2015.
Chuanfu was born and raised in a farming village in one of China’s poorest provinces in 1966. He was orphaned as a teen and raised by his elder brother and sister-in-law who supported him to become successful
You can read more about his incredible story here.
David Smitherman
David Smitherman (pictured) took over as CEO at BYD's Australian importer, EVDirect, from former boss Luke Todd in 2024.
Most recently, Smitherman worked as general manager of strategy for the Ateco Group – which is responsible for the Australian distribution of Maserati, Renault, LDV and Ram.
The post Is Tesla run by Elon Musk? Who is the owner of BYD? – Here’s who’s who at the 10 biggest car manufacturers in the world appeared first on Drive.
