We can not say that the choice of the English group is focused on a specialist luxury. But Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which announced on Tuesday it has appointed as director general Thierry Bolloré, the former boss of Renault until his dismissal in October last, take into an expert in tricky situations. The earthquake that he has experienced with the case of Ghosn and the electric atmosphere that reigned in boulogne Billancourt will not miss him. The withholding of Bolloré and its “so british” will agree, without doubt better to the corridors felted a group of brands, bringing together two institutions, a priori, ultra-british.
This is not really the case, as the owner of JLR is the indian group Tata Motors. So little English that, during the crisis of the Covid, JLR had to turn to the chinese banks to be supported, its profile making it ineligible for loans from the United Kingdom. JLR is no longer really the jewel in the crown, even if its history was closely tied indisputably to the genes of the british. A subtlety that will have to integrate Thierry Bolloré.
Thierry Bolloré, Renault, that’s the challenge Jaguar Land Rover that it will have to be © JOEL SAGET / AFP / JLR
He will take office on September 10, replacing Ralf Speth, who has been at the head of the group for over ten years.
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a Former executive of the automotive supplier French Faurecia, Thierry Bolloré joined Renault in 2012, where he rose through the ranks. He had been ousted from his post of director general in October last year to turn the page on the era of Carlos Ghosn in which he was a protégé. Mr Bolloré will take over as head of Jaguar Land Rover by the time the pandemic has put a strain on the automotive sector.
“It is a privilege to lead this fantastic company in what is still one of the moments in the most demanding of our generation,” he said in the press release.
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And the context is not really useful even though, as other manufacturers top of the range, the hard rules of polluting emissions and forced to make a 180-degree turn to turn to the car, electrified.
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So that it is in full renewal of ranges, even before being overtaken by the pandemic, JLR had recently announced the elimination of 1,100 jobs temporary workers in the United Kingdom and a loss before tax of 500 million pounds between January and march.
because of the fall of its sales, its cash has melted at high speed. The group has even had to turn to chinese banks to get the loan of 560 million pounds that the public authorities in the Uk could not grant him. The Indian Empire is nothing more than a distant memory.
The group wants to spend the cap, reduce its costs, with the goal of saving 5 billion pounds by march 2021, one billion more than expected so far. It has taken the decision to reduce its investment to £ 2.5 billion for fiscal year 2020-2021, up from 3.3 billion in 2019-2020.
The job cuts come after a restructuring plan announced last year, and who were already planning to reduce the workforce by 5,000 jobs. A big challenge in perspective to Thierry Bolloré, which must, at the same time, carry out the mutation of the range towards cleaner cars… without losing its essence
