Driving Change from Within: Empowering Senior Women Leaders at Renault Group

The Challenge

Renault Group, a global leader in automotive innovation and mobility solutions, employs more than 100,000 people and generates over €50 billion in annual revenue. With a strong belief that diversity fuels innovation, Renault Group is committed to building an inclusive culture where women can thrive at every level of the organisation.

In recent years, the company has made significant progress, increasing the representation of women in its top governing bodies from 22,1% to 35.6% between end‑2021 and end‑2025 . Yet the challenge remained: how to ensure that a sustainable pipeline of senior female talent could be built, developed, and empowered to lead in a fast-changing industry.

As Marguerite Prince, VP, Global Talent, explained:
“This programme is a powerful enabler to develop female leaders: give them the courage to express their own leadership and reveal their full potential. This is key to getting the best out of our talents - all our talents – and in the end ensuring the sustainable performance of the Group”.

To meet this ambition, Renault Group partnered with London Business School to co-create a programme that would both elevate senior female leaders and embed inclusive leadership deeply into the company’s culture.

 

The Approach

Launched in 2017, Be Your Own Leader (BYOL) is the product of a close collaboration between Renault Group’s Global Talent team and London Business School. Designed around LBS’s FLARE framework – Focus, Learn, Apply, Reflect, Experience – the programme combines academic rigor with deeply personal development.

Over the course of several months, participants take part in:

• Three-day in-person workshops, focused on leadership identity, influence, and collaboration.
• One-to-one coaching sessions, providing a confidential space to unlock personal potential.
• Virtual learning modules, sustaining momentum between residential sessions.
• Cross-functional peer networks, connecting women from different geographies and business areas.

The aim is not to train leaders through a formula, but to empower each woman to fully step into her own authentic leadership.

 

As the cohorts have progressed, the programme has evolved—incorporating new faculty sessions on strategic leadership and organisational impact, while maintaining its strong emphasis on coaching and reflection. Throughout, the partnership between Renault Group and London Business School has ensured the learning remains relevant, applied, and aligned with Renault Group’s business priorities.

Implementation

Each cohort of around 20 participants is carefully selected based on leadership behaviors and potential rather than tenure or role. This makes the experience highly aspirational across the organisation. The program attracts women from a wide range of business functions—from engineering and manufacturing to marketing, finance, and human resources.

The journey begins with a focus on personal leadership. Participants explore their strengths, values, and purpose as leaders, supported by one-to-one coaching. They are encouraged to bridge the “knowing–doing gap”, translating insight into daily leadership behavior. The three-day residential module acts as a pivotal moment, bringing the group together in a highly immersive and supportive environment.

The programme creates an environment that is both provocative and safe, encouraging deep reflection and experimentation within a collaborative and empowering community. Participants consistently describe it as authentic and transformative a defining feature of the BYOL experience.

Emma Hodgson, Client Director at London Business School, explains: “The small-group format creates a powerful space for self-discovery. Participants are encouraged to lead authentically, and in doing so, they find both their confidence and their community.”

The learning does not stop once the program ends. Alumni often return to speak at subsequent cohorts, sharing their experiences and reinforcing a culture of mentorship and mutual growth. Internal mentoring links and peer networks across Renault Group continue to sustain the impact long after the formal learning has finished.

Impact

Over seven cohorts, more than 120 women have completed Be Your Own Leader. The program consistently receives satisfaction scores of 4.9 out of 5.0, and participant feedback highlights both professional and personal transformation.

Alumni report increased confidence, clearer strategic focus, and a stronger sense of belonging. Many have gone on to take on expanded roles or leadership responsibilities, describing the experience as a genuine accelerator for their careers.

One participant captured the sentiment shared by many:
“The programme helped me find my voice as a leader. It was not just a learning journey—it changed how I see myself and the impact I can have.”

The impact extends well beyond the classroom. Graduates of the programme form a visible and connected network of women leaders who collaborate across functions and geographies. This strengthened sense of community has contributed to greater cross-business cooperation and a more inclusive culture.

The results are tangible. The company’s leadership diversity continues to improve, and BYOL is now recognised internally as a flagship initiative within Renault Group’s Women in Leadership strategy. 

A Partnership Driving Lasting Change

The success of Be Your Own Leader lies in the strength of the partnership between Renault Group and London Business School—combining the School’s world-class expertise in leadership development with Renault Group’s commitment to building a culture where women can thrive.

Now entering its next phase, the programme continues to evolve in line with the company’s ambitions, expanding its content to include strategy, innovation, and enterprise-wide impact. For Renault Group, it represents a long-term investment in leadership diversity. For London Business School, it stands as a powerful example of how tailored, collaborative learning can deliver meaningful organisational transformation.

Together, Renault Group and London Business School continue to champion the next generation of authentic, inclusive leaders—driving meaningful change across the organisation and the industry.