CASE STUDY
Renault UK - Delivering Strategic Leadership Through Retained Search
Renault Group is one of the most well-established automotive manufacturers globally, with a strong UK presence across its Renault, Dacia and Alpine brands. As part of its renewed focus on customer excellence, Renault UK required senior leadership to drive customer operations, enhance experience strategy and align service delivery across its national network.
Challenge: Strategic Customer Leadership in a Complex Dealer Environment
Renault UK engaged ECW Search on a retained basis to lead the search for a Head of Customer Operations, a critical role responsible for elevating customer satisfaction, digital service integration and operational performance across the UK retail network.
This search demanded a rare combination of commercial acumen, OEM stakeholder influence, and operational leadership, with deep experience in dealer networks, customer lifecycle management and digital service innovation. The client needed not just a functional leader, but a strategic voice capable of influencing transformation across the business.
Key Search Data & Process Insights
Role Hired
Head of Customer Operations – accountable for customer service strategy, contact centre performance, dealer experience standards, and end-to-end customer journey optimisation
Search Type
Retained Executive Search
Time to Shortlist
12 working days
Time to Hire
47 days from signed engagement to accepted offer
Interview Process
Stage 1: Initial interviews with UK executive team
Stage 2: Business case presentation and panel with senior European stakeholders
Candidate Profile Requirements
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Proven track record leading customer operations within an automotive OEM or aligned sector
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Deep understanding of dealer network dynamics, service KPIs, and digital customer engagement tools
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Strong leadership presence with ability to influence at both UK and European levels
Additional Value Delivered
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Retained search structure ensured full candidate exclusivity and market coverage
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Delivered a diverse shortlist with a blend of automotive and high-end service experience
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Provided real-time competitor mapping and role benchmarking to support internal alignment
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Managed stakeholder expectations across UK and European hiring leads
Result
The appointed Head of Customer Operations is now driving customer satisfaction improvements across the UK dealer network, implementing strategic initiatives to improve responsiveness, enhance digital customer journeys, and streamline operational performance. Their leadership has been pivotal in supporting Renault UK's transformation agenda and aligning local service delivery with global brand expectations.
This engagement highlights ECW Search’s capability to deliver retained executive search in the automotive sector, with rigour, pace, and credibility. Our sector-specific knowledge, structured search methodology and ability to influence stakeholders at all levels enabled Renault UK to make a business-critical hire with confidence.