Opening the Way for Global Market

"Renault aims at an annual output of 4 million cars by 2010, and thus, as part of the Renault-Nissan Group, achieve a 10 percent share in the global market." -- a favorite phrase of Renault Chairman & CEO Louis Schweitzer, who opted for Nissan as a partner in fulfilling the automaker's global strategy. His decision led a number of other French firms to make inroads into Japan, while serving as the start of building a new cooperative relationship between Japanese and French business circles.

After graduating from France's Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA), known for training elites, he served as financial inspector and was instated as the then Minister Fabius (currently Financial Minister) in 1981. In 1986 he was transferred to state-operated Renault and assumed the post of Chairman in 1992 when he was only 49 years old.

After that, he went through a major ordeal. He gave up merging with Sweden's carmaker Volvo in which he took the lead due to opposition by Renault's stockholders. Because of this, he transformed himself into one who strongly promotes privatization. When Renault was privatized in 1996, which was his heart's desire, he went ahead with a series of bold restructuring initiatives, including the shutout of its Belgium plant, which proved successful in reviving Renault.

In the fall 1998, "Renault has entered the phase of expansion again," Louis Schweitzer declared. It was realized in the form of buying an equity stake in Nissan Motor the following year. The way to the global market he challenges has begun opening steadily.

Graduated from Ecole Nationale d'Administration. Aged 58.

Louis Schweitzer was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Renault in May, 1992. Since taking office, Mr. Schweitzer has opened the company to private shareholders in 1994 and led the privatisation of Renault in 1996. His main goals for the company consist in developping in a profitable way the market share of Renault outside its european home market, cut costs agressively while maintaining its high quality standard and continue to bring out innovative products.

He was chosen by former Chairman R.H. Levy as President and Chief Operating Officer in December 1990.

Mr. Schweitzer joined Renault in May 1986 when the company was having its third straight year of huge financial losses. He became Finance and Planning Vice-President in 1987 and Executive Vice President in 1989.

Mr. Schweitzer joined Renault after five years as chief of staff of Laurent Fabius, who was Minister of Budget in 1981, then Minister for Industry and Research, and French Prime Minister from 1984 to 1986.

He is also member of the board of directors of Pechiney, IFRI, BNP, Credit National and Philips.

In 1979, Mr. Schweitzer was named Deputy Director in the Budget Department. In 1970, he had begun his carreer as an official in the Treasury Department.

Mr. Schweitzer got a Master's degree in Law and studied at the ≪ Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris ≫. He carried on as student at the ≪ Ecole Nationale d'Administration ≫ from which he graduated in 1970 as ≪ Inspecteur des Finances ≫.

Mr. Schweitzer was born in July 1942 in Geneva (Switzerland) and is the grand nephew of Peace Nobel Prize Albert Schweitzer. He married Agnes in 1972 and is the father of two children.