Stellantis poaches Renault design chief to lead Europe revamp

Stellantis hired Gilles Vidal, one of Renault’s top design executives, as the maker of Peugeot cars seeks a makeover under its new chief executive officer.

Vidal, who worked at Stellantis predecessor PSA before joining Renault in 2020, will head design for the group’s European brands, replacing Jean-Pierre Ploue who is stepping down, Stellantis said on Friday (Jul 25). He will start on Oct 1 and work closely with Ralph Gilles, Stellantis’ chief design officer, the manufacturer added.

Vidal’s appointment comes at a key juncture for Stellantis, which is seeking a revival under new CEO Antonio Filosa. The Jeep maker is trying to recover in several of its key markets, including in Europe where demand remains stagnant and Chinese entrants led by BYD are making inroads.

A surprise 2.3 billion euros (S$3.5 billion) first-half net loss announced this week underscored the challenge.

The hire could mark a turning point for Stellantis, and shows the capacity of Filosa to attract new talent after the departure of several top executives, many of them French, from the era of former chief Carlos Tavares, according to Pierre-Olivier Essig, an equities analyst at AIR Capital. The appointment also deepens the crisis at Renault following the surprise departure of former CEO Luca de Meo, Essig said.

“The remontada of Renault is likely over and the big disaster at Stellantis also is over,” Essig said. “There seems to be a reversal of fortunes in the matter of just a few weeks.”

BT in your inbox

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Vidal started his career at Stellantis brand Citroen in 1996, going on to lead the design projects for vehicles such as the Peugeot 308, 3008, 208, as well as for the Renault Scenic and Renault 5, all of which have won European Car of the Year.

At Renault, he led design at the Renault brand as well as at the group’s electric-vehicle arm Ampere.

Vidal is the fourth key executive to leave Renault in the past year, following the exits of head of engineering Gilles Le Borgne, chief financial officer Thierry Pieton and de Meo.

Renault is currently being run by chairman Jean-Dominique Senard and interim CEO Duncan Minto, as it hunts for a permanent leader. BLOOMBERG