AVTOVAZ Leadership Shuffle Shapes Lada Design Future
In the near term, AVTOVAZ is poised to announce a new chief designer for the Lada brand. Jean-Philippe Salard, the French designer who has acted as vice president of design at AvtoVAZ for the past eighteen months, was dismissed, according to reports from tlt.ru. The company has not officially confirmed this personnel decision at the time of writing.
Since mid-May, persistent whispers have circulated that Renault Group executives, who are not in direct coordination with AVTOVAZ, are stepping back from the Russian automaker. Nicolas Maure, the former AVTOVAZ president, was among the first to depart following political events in late February, and Salard’s exit has been viewed as the next anticipated move in the leadership transition.
Prior to joining AvtoVAZ, Salard oversaw Dacia design development, contributing to the launches of the new Duster and the third-generation Logan/Sandero, as well as the Arkana crossover for the Russian market. He assumed responsibility for Lada’s design on January 1, 2021, succeeding British designer Steve Mattin, who had guided the brand’s model range since 2013.
Salard’s tenure allowed only a brief window to leave a lasting mark. In October, he spoke about plans for a new generation Niva, a project once envisioned as a collaboration with former Aston Martin designer Miles Nuremberger, though those plans grew uncertain over time. Subsequent reports have indicated that Valery Frolov has taken over as acting chief designer for the Lada brand.
Since late May, AVTOVAZ has undergone a managerial rotation. Maxim Sokolov, previously a regional official, has stepped in as president. Evgeny Shmelev has returned to AVTOVAZ in the role of vice president of engineering, a position he held previously until mid-2010.
- Denis Manturov, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was noted to chair the board of directors.
- News segments such as Behind the Wheel are now available on RuTube, according to industry updates.
Overall, the unfolding leadership changes at AVTOVAZ reflect a broader transition in the company’s design and engineering strategy, with implications for Lada’s future product lineup, regional market positioning, and collaboration with international partners. Observers will watch closely how the brand’s design direction evolves under new leadership and how the company navigates political and corporate shifts that influence its global operations. [Source: industry coverage and official announcements compiled from regional reporting and industry briefings]