Renault Expected to Reappoint Ghosn as CEO

Carlos Ghosn, who had been expected to retire when his current contract as chairman and CEO of Renault SA expires in June, will be reappointed to both posts, according to media reports.

Ghosn’s extension is likely to be announced on Feb. 15 ahead of Renault’s financial report on the 16th, according to Le Figaro, which first reported the decision. The company also may reveal a newly created chief operating officer position.

Renault has been pondering Ghosn’s successor for months. Media reports say the likely candidates for the CEO were Thierry Bollore, currently the company’s chief competitive officer; Stefan Mueller, chief performance officer; and Jose Munoz, chief performance officer at Nissan Motor Co.

But the French government, which owns 15% of Renault, is eager to install a COO to take a more active role with investors and analysists, the Financial Times says. The newspaper notes that Renault’s stock price hasn’t moved significantly in three years.​