Christian Vandenhende began his career in research at his alma mater, the University of Louvain in Belgium, before joining the automotive supply industry in 1985.

 

He worked for Saint Gobain and Valeo before joining Renault in 1999 as head of its Supplier Performance Analysis department. In March 2008, he was appointed Purchasing Organization Director (Chassis) for the Renault-Nissan Alliance, rising to Senior Vice President, Purchasing in March 2009. At the same time, he was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of the Renault-Nissan Purchasing Organization (RNPO).

 

In June 2009, he added the role of Alliance Director of Global Purchasing, tasked with accelerating Alliance purchasing synergies. He is also a member of the Renault Management and Operational Committees.

 

On April 1, 2014, Christian Vandenhende will become Alliance Executive Vice President for Purchasing. In this role, he will be responsible for driving greater purchasing synergies and more economies of scale following the convergence of major engineering and manufacturing activities.

 

Christian Vandenhende is a Belgian national and holds an engineering degree from the University of Louvain.