Renault’s interim CEO Clothilde Delbos brought on Gilles Le Borgne, new executive VP for engineering at Renault, at the automaker’s 2019 financial results presentation.
“I saw huge assets, but also huge areas for improvements,” Le Borgne told investors, analysts and journalists who had gathered at Renault headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt on the outskirts of Paris. “Engineering and capex-wise, we are really far from excellence”, he said, referring to capital expenditure.
Le Borgne is expected to play a central role in getting the alliance back into the black, Delbos said, adding that he was joining other “new talents” on the executive committee, including Denis Le Vot, the former head of Nissan North America, and incoming CEO Luca de Meo.
Le Borgne is a leading star of the French automotive industry. Earlier this month, he was named Man of the Year by the French magazine Journal de l’Automobile, which cited his efficient and innovative R&D work at PSA and the expectation that he will revitalise Renault.
Le Borgne has driven each car in Renault’s lineup. The new Clio small hatchback and the Captur, which will both get the system this summer, in particular, “are really gorgeous and really high-performing,” he said.