Luca de Meo, an Italian who has worked at many European car manufacturers before running Volkswagen’s Spanish brand, SEAT, is being labelled the front-runner to become CEO of Renault, said people familiar with the matter.
De Meo has leadership experience in the automotive industry, diplomatic skills, speaks five languages, has helped freshen the model line-up at SEAT and has lead the company to profitability. De Meo has spent 25 years working for various European car manufacturers including Renault, Toyota, FCA, Volkswagen and SEAT, where he has since remained as Chairman on the Executive Committee.
Renault began the CEO search after removing Thierry Bollore, who held the position for under a year after the arrest of Carlos Ghosn in November 2018. Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard has said that it would be more preferable to make a selection by the end of the year, but it will not be a problem if it takes longer.
While Renault is narrowing the list of candidates, no decision has been made and other contenders remain in the running, said people asking not to be identified over confidential matters. The company will complete its shortlist soon, before submitting it to the board for review, according to the sources.