Luca de Meo is a self-proclaimed ‘car guy’ who turned Renault Group around and reinvented Alpine – so his abrupt departure for the world of luxury goods is a sign of headwinds coming for the car indus

Luca de Meo, a seasoned executive with more than three decades of experience in the automotive industry, is set to take the helm at Kering, the French multinational group renowned for its portfolio of luxury brands.

The Italian is set to leave Renault next month to become boss of Kering, the struggling owner of Gucci and Saint Laurent, from mid-September. While de Meo has spent his entire career in the car industry, he has been making discreet overtures to the luxury industry for some time, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.