Renault replaces Carlos Ghosn with two new chiefs

Subsequent to Ghosn’s resignation, French car manufacturer Renault has appointed Thierry Bollore as its Chief Executive and Jean-Dominique Senard as its new Chairman. 

While Bollore had been running Renault since Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November, Jean-Dominique Senard was heading tyre giant Michelin as its CEO. 

As Senard took the new role, his first move was to reassure investors of his faith in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, calling it "absolutely essential."

With these new appointments, Renault hopes for a "new chapter" in ties between the partners.

"This is a big milestone that we are reaching," shared Nissan Chief Hiroto Saikawa.

Besides Senard’s leadership, with the years of experience in Asia, Bollore is seen at Renault as the right man to take forward the French company in its Japanese alliance, which has been badly rattled by the Ghosn scandal. 

A new beginning but with some uncertainties 

These new appointments mark the start of a new era for the manufacturer and its vital but strained alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi. While Ghosn was the keystone of their alliance, the responsibility to take this alliance forward and curb the strains is now on the two new leaders Bollore and Senard. 

The French manufacturer is counting on the reputation and experience of the two new heads and hopes that their valuable experience will be helpful in soothing relations with their Japanese partners. However, the transition will take some time to happen and the company may need some more time to cope up with the scandal that still requires closure. 

There also several other leadership roles that Renault still has to decide on. For instance, it remains unclear who will replace Ghosn as head of the alliance, a role traditionally reserved for Renault's CEO, while Nissan chooses its vice president. Further, Renault’s board had also been gearing up to name new directors.

The leadership amidst such a crisis is often questioned and is suddenly burdened with even more responsibilities and how they react and overcome these challenges and win back their reputation is what defines their future.