Thierry Bollore, the former CEO of Groupe Renault, has been appointed the new CEO of British automotive company Jaguar Land Rover with effect September 10. He succeeds Sir Ralph Speth, who will reach the company's mandatory retirement age of 65 that month but remain on the board of directors.

Bollore reportedly beat out a shortlist of other German automotive executives including the former CEO of Audi, the former development chief of BMW, and at least one internal candidate. He will be expected to lead the company through a period of considerable upheaval including Brexit, plunging demand from China and India, the shift towards cleaner electric vehicles, and of course the COVID-19 situation as it will stand by September.

N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Jaguar Land Rover's parent company Tata Motors, said in the announcement on July 28: “I am delighted to welcome Thierry to Jaguar Land Rover. An established global business leader with a proven track record of implementing complex transformations, Thierry will bring a wealth of experience to one of the most revered positions in the industry.”

Besides CEO of Renault—a position he held for less than a year before the board of directors removed him—Bollore has also held senior positions at Faurecia and Michelin.