Renault SA said Tuesday it has held a board meeting and named Luca de Meo, former chief of Volkswagen AG's unit in Spain, as new CEO of the French automaker.

De Meo will take the helm of Renault on July 1, following the dismissal of CEO Thierry Bollore last October in an attempt to cut ties with former boss Carlos Ghosn.

De Meo, who resigned as head of the Seat brand earlier this month, was seen as a prominent candidate for the top job at Renault.

Bollore had served as No. 2 under Ghosn, who spearheaded the auto alliance involving Renault, Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. before his arrest by Japanese prosecutors in November 2018 over alleged financial misconduct.

==Kyodo

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