VW Group’s Seat has announced that its President Luca de Meo is stepping down from his position, “on his own request and in common agreement with the Volkswagen Group”.
The short statement added that Luca de Meo will remain a member of the Group until further notice.
Luca de Meo is rumored to be one of the main candidates for the top job over at Renault, which has reportedly already offered him the job. Renault is currently led by interim CEO Clotilde Delbos following the removal of Thierry Bollore.
Related: Renault Board Want SEAT Boss Luca De Meo For CEO
Luca de Meo, who has been leading Seat since 2015, started his career in Renault before moving to Toyota, followed by Fiat.
Previous reports mentioned that De Meo might be subjected to a non-compete clause in his contract with the VW Group, which probably explains why he remains at VW Group, even after his resignation from Seat.
Clotilde Delbos took over the reins at Renault after Thierry Bollore was ousted last October, in a move associated with Renault getting rid of executives associated with Carlos Ghosn to patch up its relations with alliance partner Nissan.
If Luca de Meo becomes Renault’s new CEO, he would help end a turbulent period for the French car maker following Ghosn’s arrest.
De Meo has been responsible for Seat’s recent success story in Europe, launching new SUV models like the Ateca, Arona and Tarraco, as well as making Cupra a standalone performance brand.
