Renault Chief Operating Officer steps down [Update]

Renault has announced that Carlos Tavares, its Chief Operating Officer (COO), has left the company in order to pursue personal projects.

Born in Portugal, 55-year old Tavares joined Renault in 1981 as a test driver and gradually moved up through the ranks over the following decades.  He briefly led Nissan’s North American operations and returned to Renault when he was promoted COO in July of 2011.  

A lifelong motorsport enthusiast, Tavares was often called the heart of Renault and he is credited for spearheading the return of the storied Alpine brand, forging an alliance with England’s Caterham and creating exhilarating concepts like the mid-engined Twin’Run that debuted earlier this year.  Rumors indicated Tavares was also in the process of developing a range-topping, Gordini-badged variant of the Clio RS and a series of premium models called Initiale Paris. �

Precisely why Tavares left Renault is not known but many speculate his decision is at least partially linked to a heavily-criticized interview with Bloomberg in which he admitted he saw no future at Renault because CEO Carlos Ghosn will not step down any time soon.  He continued by admitting that he would like to end his career at the head of a large American automaker such as Ford or General Motors.  

“Anyone who is passionate about the auto industry comes to a conclusion that there is a point where you have the energy and appetite for a No. 1 position,” explained Tavares.  “My experience would be good for any car company,” he added, “why not GM? I would be honored to lead a company like GM.”

Ghosn will fill Tavares’ position until an adequate replacement is found.  <![CDATA[
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