Meet Jean-Dominique Senard, the man most likely to replace Ghosn at Renault

If appointed, Senard could temporarily hold both the CEO and chairman positions until Renault holds a shareholder meeting

Michelin Chief Executive Officer Jean-Dominique Senard, a frontrunner to replace Carlos Ghosn atop Renault SA, has passed one of the tests required for the job: Support of the French state.

Senard, 65, has boosted profitability during his seven years at the helm of the French tiremaker, winning the favor of the government -- Renault’s biggest shareholder. The carmaker said Thursday it will seek new governance, almost two months after Chairman and CEO Ghosn was detained in Japan for alleged financial misdeeds.

On Wednesday, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called Senard “a great industrialist,” in a television interview. An executive at alliance