Renault has appointed Luca de Meo, the former head of Volkswagen Group’s Seat brand, as CEO as the automaker looks to move on from the Carlos Ghosn era.
De Meo has been a front-runner to replace ousted CEO Thierry Bollore for months but his appointment was delayed because he had a noncompete clause with VW Group.
De Meo, 52, will take up the post on July 1, Renault said in a statement on Tuesday. He replaces Clotilde Delbos, who took over as Renault’s interim CEO after Bollore stepped down in October. Delbos will continue as interim CEO until de Meo takes office, Renault said. The board would like her to become deputy CEO after that, the statement said.
Mr. Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said:
I am delighted with this new governance, which marks a decisive step for the Group and for the Alliance. Luca de Meo is a great strategist and visionary of a rapidly changing automotive world. His expertise but also his passion for cars make him a real asset for the Group. I also thank Clotilde Delbos who provides interim management of the Group in an exceptional manner. She has demonstrated day after day her commitment and determination in the service of Renault. Together, with the support of a renewed and strengthened executive committee, they will form a high-quality, multi-talented team equal to Renault’s ambitions.
De Meo will be prohibited from disclosing competitive information for five months and must spend that time at his home before officially starting at Renault, the French newspaper Le Figaro reported Tuesday.
His hiring as CEO will need to be approved at Renault’s general shareholders’ meeting in April.
