Renault Offers SEAT’s De Meo CEO Position, La Vanguardia Says

(Bloomberg) -- Renault SA offered Luca de Meo, who heads Volkswagen AG’s Spanish brand, the role of chief executive officer of the French carmaker, La Vanguardia reported, citing unnamed officials at the company.

Renault has also told De Meo, who runs SEAT, that within two years he could take the helm of the group’s alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi. Bloomberg previously reported that De Meo was leading a pool of candidates for the CEO position at Renault, citing people familiar with the matter.

De Meo’s experience in the auto industry, diplomatic skills and language abilities -- he speaks five, including French -- make him attractive to a carmaker with a broad international footprint and a government shareholder. At SEAT, the Italian rejuvenated the range and helped lead the division back to profitability in part by successfully introducing the sporty Cupra brand.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeannette Neumann in Madrid at jneumann25@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at fobrien@bloomberg.net, James Amott, Sara Marley

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