Luca de Meo's abrupt departure as Renault CEO has kicked off a search for his successor, with analysts mentioning longtime insider Denis Le Vot and Maxime Picat of rival Stellantis as suitable fits to continue the French automaker's turnaround. Fiona Jones reports.

The former chief executive of the carmaker Renault will replace Francois-Henri Pinault as the struggling company seeks a turnaround.

Francois-Henri Pinault, who has held the CEO title since 2005, is to remain chairman of the family-controlled luxury group. De Meo is expected to start on Sept. 15.

Shares of Kering, the luxury-goods company behind Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and other brands, rallied as much as 10% on Monday after reportedly luring Renault’s chief executive to run the company.

Luca de Meo, who joins the struggling luxury firm from car maker Renault, will succeed François-Henri Pinault, who will remain chairman of the board.

The following is a timeline of the major events in the French luxury fashion group's history. 1962 - Francois Pinault founds Etablissements Pinault, a timber trading company based in Rennes that will transform into Kering.

Luca de Meo, who resigned from carmaker Renault on Sunday, is widely tipped to succeed François-Henri Pinault at the management helm of the French luxury group.