Published by Élodie Maurel-Lescure

François Roger HRH Renault an international career in HR innovation

François Roger, HRD Renault from 2018 to 2025, led the HR transformation by promoting social dialogue, internal mobility and inclusion before joining Cerba HealthCare.

21 January 2026

professional mobility and innovation HR billet company health
professional mobility and innovation HR billet company health

TheFrançois Rogershows that professional mobility, even between two worlds as different as automobile and health, often advances human skills and promotes innovation. His itinerary reassures those who doubt their legitimacy during a reconversion: believe in the strength of his experience, remain open to dialogue, and value theHR developmentrepresent concrete levers to draw new paths, even when the environment seems difficult and traditional landmarks are shaken (this discourse is frequently heard in various mobility coaches).

Who's François Roger? A recognized HR expert, between Renault and Cerba HealthCare

International HR manager Renault Cerba 7000 followers

François Roger has built his credibility through an international HR experience – at Renault from 2018 to 2025, then as the HRD of Cerba HealthCare. To give an idea: more than 20 years of career in major global groups,7,000 LinkedIn subscribersand a well-established reputation for listening and social innovation.

For professionals looking for inspiring HR trajectories, François Roger embodies this rare profile that moves from advice to industry, from automotive to health. His journey answers many questions about sectoral mobility and the ability to drive change in demanding environments. His biography is regularly consulted on institutional sites and professional networks, and quoted in the specialized press – evidence that his experience is challenging, including outside the sectors from which he comes.

His career ahead of Renault: from multinationals to the automotive industry

Before joining Renault, François Roger had already developed a solid HR know-how in a variety of fields: from cosmetics to health, to high consumption. He graduated from EM Lyon (financial and HR specialization), began at Hay Management (Korn Ferry Group) and quickly discovered the functioning of large organisations.

Key steps in his career development

His journey has the appearance of an international fresco. Some milestones allow us to appreciate its progress –

  • In2000, he becomes HR Manager at SC Johnson and refines his expertise in a multinational context.
  • From2005Novartis entrusts him with HR transformation and inclusion projects (diversity, social dialogue).
  • Between2008 and 2016He joined GE Healthcare, where he led multicultural teams and managed sometimes complex reorganizations.
  • BIC, the figure of the light tricolor industry, completes this journey, always in an international logic.

It should be noted that François Roger regularly accepts transformation challenges and apparently refuses to settle in a comfortable routine. Some professionals remember that at the time, his transition from health to automobile was observed as a bold approach, not so common in the HRD circle – it even happens that this kind of mobility is called a "jump in the unknown".

Key competencies and recognition

This transversal journey gives him several strings to his arch: intercultural adaptation, strategic vision, attention to CSR. From this period, he collects on LinkedIn some peer recommendations – two of them are still searchable and highlight his ability to federate and engage teams.

According to sector analyses published around 2020, François Roger is regularly cited as a "snowball" HR profile: as he progresses, his expertise and network take on a remarkable scale, a phenomenon considered rare by some specialized observers.

Its role at Renault: mobilising, transforming, innovating

Arrived in June 2018 at Renault, François Roger succeeds Marie-Françoise Damesin, a well-known figure in the sector. In the first few weeks, he took up the position of HRD Group and joined the executive committee, impulsing a HR policy in line with the manufacturer's strategies: from motorsport to the F1, not to mention the electric transition (a former colleague recently noticed that this versatility has become valuable for the brand).

Major missions and achievements

During his visit to Renault (2018-2025), several highlights structure HR governance and culture:

  • By serving on the Executive Committee, he took part in defining the Social Roadmap.
  • It negotiates social innovation schemes, such as internal mobility and CAP2020 agreements on skills development, which have enabled more1000 internal mobilityin two years (according to the internal report Renault 2019).
  • Recognized for his role in social dialogue, he created a new opening within Renault, supported by the general management (Thierry Bolloré and Luca de Meo).

It is not uncommon to find in his interviews, especially at Figaro Emploi, the main idea: "I think that internal mobility should always be given priority over external mobility. ». This principle has been embodied in digital tools and the concrete creation of career pathways. Feedback, shared in various HR workshops, also evokes a dynamic that teams continue to benefit from.

Trust, Innovation and CSR: Personal Brands

François Roger is also committed to diversity and inclusion: disability campaigns, LGBT+ sponsorship, junior/senior mentoring. Its method is based on co-construction with the social partners, an approach praised by two internal HR distinctions, according to a recently met HR trainer.

Among the testimonies gathered on LinkedIn, those who met him cite his ability to "unlock silos" and "give meaning in times of crisis" – a view shared in several professional networks and corroborated by Roger's trajectory.

Transition to Cerba HealthCare (2025): A New Challenge in Health

Official: François Roger joined Cerba HealthCare as HRD Group from 2025. After seven years in the automobile industry, he returned to health, a sector that had marked his first years of career. The announcement, relayed by several HR media, also elicited a variety of reactions, illustrating the interest of the specialized circles.

Renault's consequences and the challenges of this transition

This start is an important step: Renault must designate its future HRD (name expected by the end of 2024) against the background of digital acceleration and renewal of policies. Among the HR and management teams, one question comes back regularly: how can change be sustained when two strong personalities (Damesin and Roger) succeed each other in less than a decade?

  • On his profile, Cerba HealthCare, François Roger highlights his desire to accompany transformation, a "global health" vision and openness to the diversity of talent in a changing sector.
  • Renault, for its part, must keep pace in social dialogue, training and agility – "a real test of organizational resilience", as stressed by a HR manager interviewed in Les Echos de la Mobility 2024.

Roger's appointment to Cerba HealthCare (confirmed in April 2025) is part of a growing trend: HR leaders are more likely to attempt the large sector gap, building on theportability of competencesrather than a systematic specialization. Several HR consultants see this as a constructive market option.

Quick FAQ: Benchmarks on the path, choices and HR inspiration

For those looking for a summary or comparative analysis, this is what observers usually retain:

François Roger's inspiring journey illustrates how an international career can enrich skills, as well as understanding thebanker's salary: comprehensive overview and tips for changing your remunerationcan guide professionals seeking progress.

François Roger perfectly embodies the importance of an innovative approach to talent management, in the image ofRH4YOU, the modular SaaS HR solution for SMEs and ETIwhich provides appropriate tools to meet human resource challenges.

Like François Roger, other professionals likePierre Jacquet: coordinates, routes and expertise at 52160illustrate the importance of adaptability and versatility in the success of international careers.

Who is François Roger and what was his role at Renault?

DRH Groupe Renault from 2018 to 2025 (after Marie-Françoise Damesin), Roger marked governance through social dialogue, HR innovation and a true commitment to internal mobility.

What are his outstanding HR experiences before Renault?

He worked at SC Johnson, Novartis, GE Healthcare and BIC, with more than 20 years of international missions (Europe, Americas), and addressed all the major HR issues: crisis, transformation, merger, diversity – "a relatively complete journey," stressed a HR coach during a webinar.

Why did you leave Renault in 2025?

He joins Cerba HealthCare, a leading European player in medical diagnosis. According to the April 2025 press release Cerba HealthCare, this is a carefully thought-out strategic reorientation, initiated several months earlier.

Where to follow or contact François Roger today?

Its LinkedIn profile (more than7,000 subscribers) and the governance section of Cerba HealthCare informs about its HR news. For a professional application, we recommend the contact form of the site Cerba – "it responds fairly quickly" according to an anecdote shared on a HR forum.

Career table: time benchmarks and benchmarks

Period Company / Sector HR role
2000–2005 SC Johnson (Greater Conso) HR Europe
2005–2008 Novartis (Health/Pharma) HR transformation, diversity
2008–2016 GE Healthcare (Medical Technologies) HR International (multi-country)
2016–2018 BIC (Light industry) HR development
2018–2025 Renault (Automobile) HRD Group, Executive Committee
2025– Cerba HealthCare (Health Diagnostics) HRD Group

Further: resources, networking and sector watch

Need to deepen HR benchmarks or better understand a leader's path? Itineraries such as François Roger's serve as an ideal map to analyze:

  • The recent increase in HR executive profiles in the automotive and health sectors, where cross-tracking is increasing.
  • The main challenges facing the Executive Committees in the face of ongoing changes (digital, ecological transition and ongoing training).
  • The increasing mobility of talent: it is not uncommon for a professional to juggle between several sectors without losing recognition – a development that attracts the attention of many recruitment firms.

To feed your HR watch, it may be interesting to regularly browse the press releases of Renault and Cerba HealthCare, follow the LinkedIn profiles of similar professionals, and visit the "Governance" page on corporate websites. This regular monitoring allows for the anticipation of HR mutations and sometimes detects weak signals that initiate major future transformations.

What if you hesitate to request contact on LinkedIn? It is sometimes enough to have a genuine recommendation or a personalized approach to open up new perspectives, as evidenced by some feedback about the case François Roger and his built networks mission after mission (it is not always obvious in practice!).

Updated on 23 March 2026

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Élodie Maurel-Lescure

I am Élodie Maurel-Lescure, a plastic arts trainer passionate about the transmission of creative momentum to all profiles.

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