Luca de Meo leaves Renault, a hard blow for the car manufacturer

After five years at the head of the French group, the director general announced Sunday evening, during a board of directors, his intention to leave his duties: he resigned.

It is a surprising decision that no one saw coming. Luca de Meo, the director general of Renault, announced his departure from the automotive group to his board of directors, Sunday June 16. The 58 -year -old Italian was working on the group’s recovery after the disaster departure from Carlos Ghosn, arrested in Japan in 2018.

Luca de Meo had taken the wheel of Renault while the manufacturer was in a very bad pass, rolled up by the crisis covid and against the backdrop of a hidden war with Nissan. He who had largely made a career at Renault has transformed the firm into the background, with his Renaulution strategic plan, accelerated his upmarket, multiplied partnerships and relaunched sales. In 2024, Renault’s operating margin bounded for 4.5 billion euros.

Luca de Meo leaves the group at a pivotal moment. Besides, the unions do not fail to emphasize that he leaves the ship in full storm: in full turn to the electric car, in the face of Chinese competition which swallows in Europe, and with customs duties that threaten the sector. Luca de Meo leaves in the middle of the watch, without having finished the implementation of his plan. Besides, he had to present a new component in the coming months, but he will leave before he will leave Renault from July 15, it is very fast.

Jean-Dominique Senard, the president of Renault, finds himself alone, as when he had come to play the firefighters in the middle of the Ghosn case. The departure of Luca de Meo is likely to weaken the French manufacturer, which is perceived as small on the automotive market, fragile in the face of international competition. In a press release, Renault said it launched without delay a designation process to find a successor, but it will not necessarily be so easy to find a replacement for Luca de Meo, no name seems to be imposed.

Luca de Meo is about to join a luxury group, according to Le FigaroIt is expected at Kering. Contacted by Franceinfo, the luxury group of the Pinault family does not want to comment on this arrival. But if this is the case, Luca de Meo will again have the mission to straighten a group in difficulty, very indebted, weighed down by his label, Gucci which is very bad.