On July 31, the Board of Directors of Renault Group officially appointed François Provost as the CEO of Renault S.A. and Chairman of Renault s.a.s. for a four-year term, effective from July 31. The board also appointed him as a director of both Renault S.A. and Renault s.a.s.
According to official information, François Provost, aged 57, was born in 1968 and graduated from the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris. He was selected into the French Corps des Mines and earned the title of Chief Engineer. With extensive international operations and strategic management experience, Provost is a senior executive with 23 years of service in the group. He previously served in senior public administration roles before joining Renault Group in 2002, holding various important management positions in France and Europe. Between 2005 and 2008, he served as CEO of Renault-Nissan Portugal. Starting in 2010, Provost was appointed Deputy CEO of Renault Russia, overseeing operations, and later became Chairman and CEO of Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea for five years. He then served as the Chief Operating Officer for China and the Asia-Pacific region before becoming the Group’s Head of International Business Development. In 2023, Provost joined the Group’s management team as Chief Procurement, Partner, and Public Affairs Officer.
On June 15 of this year, Luca de Meo, the CEO of Renault Group, announced he would step down from his position as CEO effective July 15, citing his desire to “seek new challenges outside the automotive industry.” Luca de Meo, who had served as CEO and Chairman of Renault Group since July 2020, became the first foreign CEO in the brand’s 122-year history. He led the strategic transformation of the group. In June 2023, he was appointed Chairman and CEO of Ampere, Renault’s electric vehicle division, and drove the spin-off and listing of this business. Under his leadership, Renault Group underwent profound reforms, transforming the company from one struggling to survive into one of the most dynamic automotive groups in Europe, injecting new vitality into the company and contributing significantly to its revival.
On July 15, Renault Group issued a statement announcing that the Group’s CFO, Duncan Minto, would serve as interim CEO of Renault S.A. starting July 15, replacing Luca de Meo, until the appointment of a new CEO. In the statement, Renault Group Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard expressed sincere thanks to Duncan Minto for his contributions during his tenure as interim CEO.
Currently, Renault Group is facing multiple challenges, including weak demand in the European market, increasing trade tensions, and mounting sales pressure due to intensified competition from Chinese automakers. As a result, Renault Group has lowered its performance expectations for the year, reducing its operating margin forecast from at least 7% to approximately 6.5%, and narrowing its free cash flow forecast from at least €2 billion to a range of €1 billion to €1.5 billion.
Today, Renault Group also released its financial performance report for the first half of 2025. The report shows that Renault Group’s revenue for the first half of 2025 was €27.64 billion, an increase of 2.5% year-on-year. Revenue from automotive business was €24.49 billion, an increase of 0.5%, with operating profit of €1.653 billion, representing 6.0% of revenue. The operating profit from the automotive business was €989 million, and net profit reached €500 million (excluding Nissan’s impact). In terms of sales, Renault Group’s global sales for the first half of 2025 reached 1.1698 million units, a 1.3% increase year-on-year. Renault brand’s global sales reached 808,000 units.
With François Provost’s appointment as CEO of Renault Group, he has significant responsibilities ahead. It remains to be seen whether he can steer Renault Group back to its former glory. As planned, Renault Group will launch seven new models this year, including the pure electric Renault 4 E-Tech, Dacia Bigster, Alpine A390 for the European market, and the Boreal for international markets. Additionally, mid-life facelifts of Renault Austral and Espace will be introduced, along with the launch of the Grand Koleos and Kardian in multiple countries.
