Renault’s second-in-command, Carlos Tavares, has quit , two weeks after he dismayed colleagues by hinting he might join one of the US carmakers.
Tavares, chief operating officer at the French auto manufacturer, said in an interview with Bloomberg published on August 14 that he had “the energy and appetite for a No. 1 position” but was unlikely to succeed Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn, 59, any time soon.
“My experience would be good for any car company,” Tavares said in the interview. “Why not GM? I would be honoured to lead a company like GM.”
“It raised a lot of eyebrows,” a Renault insider who asked not to be identified said on Thursday. “How do you motivate your teams when you’ve said publicly you’d rather be at GM or Ford?”
Another colleague said Tavares’ departure followed an informal meeting on August 26 at which Ghosn “sounded out” senior company officials.
“It’s brutal, but what Tavares had said in (the interview) did not win him any friends.”