????雷諾公司(Renault SA)首席運營官卡洛斯?塔瓦雷斯上周四宣布離職。就在他辭職的兩周前，這位僅次于公司掌門人卡洛斯?戈恩的二號人物向一位記者透露稱，他有意出任通用汽車(General Motors )或福特公司( Ford )的CEO。如果繼續留在雷諾公司，這個職務就與他無緣。

????據彭博社(Bloomberg News)報道，55歲的塔瓦雷斯曾經尋求在雷諾公司發揮更大作用，但這個想法遭到戈恩（59歲）的斷然拒絕。塔瓦雷斯被給予繼續擔任首席運營官的機會，但他最終選擇了離開，打算另謀高就。

????顯然，當塔瓦雷斯的聲明被法國媒體披露后，雷諾公司上下（包括雇員工會）感到萬分震驚，非常不滿。

????讓雷諾公司的法國工會成員非常憤慨的是，塔瓦雷斯竟然公開表露在其他公司工作的意愿，尤其是因為，在這家汽車制造商就痛苦的成本削減和人事凍結等問題進行的談判中，他一直是一位核心人物。

????塔瓦雷斯離職的消息公開前，法國第三大工會組織“工人力量”(Force Ouvriere)派發傳單稱：“當一位首席運營官完全出于個人野心，已經開始如饑似渴地向我們的競爭對手表達加盟意愿時，我們如何還能保持對他的忠誠？”

????塔瓦雷斯在汽車業備受推崇。他成名于雷諾公司擁有43% 股權的日產汽車公司(Nissan Motors)。塔瓦雷斯很可能將在另一家汽車制造商獲得一份工作，但想必他將受雇于一家需要一位新首席執行官、或者至少愿意讓他成為這個職位競爭人選的公司。

????但一些公司或許會認為，塔瓦雷斯有可能瓦解公司高層。在這些公司看來，他是一位口無遮攔的“大炮”——在媒體上公開表露事業野心的做法有違慣例，是判斷力有待商榷的表現。

????通用汽車公司迅速做出了回應。這家公司的一位發言人表示，塔瓦雷斯“不會來這里”。福特公司則拒絕評論此事。

????這是雷諾管理層在過去兩年間第二次出現動蕩。此前，一起商業間諜丑聞曾經導致雷諾公司三位經理人遭到錯誤的解職處理。之后，戈恩昔日的二把手帕特里克?佩拉特也被迫離職，塔瓦雷斯隨后被攫升為公司首席運營官。

????于雷諾和日產而言，塔瓦雷斯的退出勢必將對公司的繼任計劃產生影響。卡洛斯?戈恩目前的雇傭合約將于明年4月份到期。他是全球頂級汽車制造商中任職時間最長的一位EO，他的地位似乎堅若磐石。然而，日產和雷諾的董事會現在必須在兩年內第二次重新考慮這兩家汽車制造商的接班人計劃。

????Carlos Tavares, chief operating officer of Renault SA and second-in-command to Carlos Ghosn, stepped down from his post on Thursday. His resignation came two weeks after publication of his disclosure to a journalist that he would like to run General Motors (GM) or Ford (F) as chief executive, a post that wouldn't be his at Renault.

????According to Bloomberg News, Tavares, 55, had proposed a wider role for himself at Renault, an idea Ghosn, 59, rejected. He was offered the chance to remain chief operating officer but ultimately chose to leave in search of a top job elsewhere.

????Clearly, constituencies inside Renault, including employee unions, were shocked and disgruntled by Tavares's statements, which lately have been picked up by the French press.

????French labor union members at Renault expressed indignation that Tavares would voice a desire to work elsewhere, especially because he has been a central figure in negotiations for wrenching cost cuts and a personnel freeze at the automaker.

????Force Ouvriere, the third largest French union, distributed leaflets (prior to the news of Tavares's departure) that read "How do we stay faithful to a head of operations who, by sheer personal ambition, already has one eye looking hungrily at our competitors?"

????Tavares has been highly regarded in industry circles. He distinguished himself at Nissan Motors, which is 43% owned by Renault. He may well land a job at another automaker, though presumably he would hire on with a company that needs a new chief executive or at least is willing to make him a contender for that office.

????But some automakers could see Tavares as a potential disruption to the corporate suite, a loose cannon who breached customary protocol and displayed questionable judgment by openly discussing his career ambitions in the press.

????GM was quick to say that Tavares "isn't coming here," in the words of a spokesman. And Ford declined to discuss the matter.

????This is the second dust-up in Renault's executive suite over the past two years. Tavares was promoted to chief operating officer after Renault forced out Patrick Pelata, Ghosn's erstwhile No. 2, in the wake of a corporate espionage scandal in which three Renault managers werewrongfully terminated.

????For Renault and Nissan, Tavares's exit is certain have repercussions to the company's succession plans. Carlos Ghosn's current employment contract expires in April, and as the longest-serving CEO among the top global automakers, he appears to be solidly entrenched. Yet the boards of Nissan and Renault now must reconsider succession at both automakers for the second time in two years.