15 December 2009 | Paul Snell



French automaker Renault has appointed its chief buyer to its management committee.


Christian Vandenhende, the firm’s senior vice-president of purchasing and chairman of the Renault-Nissan Purchasing Organisation (RNPO), will take up his position on the committee from 4 January.
 


He will join former RNPO chairman Odile Desforges, who became the company’s vice-president of engineering and quality in March. Another former buying chief, Bernard Rey – now in charge of Renault’s Formula One racing team - also sits on the committee.
 


Vandenhende joined Renault in 1999 as head of the supplier performance analysis department. Before replacing Desforges he was RNPO director for chassis.


According to media reports the RNPO, which handles around 90 per cent of the manufacturer’s spend across the two firms, will also soon take control of parts purchasing at Russian carmaker AvtoVAZ.



At the end of last month Renault agreed a memorandum of understanding to help the firm - best known as the maker of the Lada - cut costs and develop new vehicles. Renault already has a 25 per cent stake in AvtoVAZ.

A Renault spokesperson told supplymanagement.com the company was examining the possibility of working on purchasing and supplier management with AvtoVAZ, but could not give further details.