Group Michelin Managing Partner Didier Miraton is leaving Michelin after 29 years with the company, including the last four as a managing partner.
Neither Mr. Miraton, 53, nor Michelin elaborated on the reasons for the executive's decision to leave, but daily newspaper reports in France stated his departure is tied to the firm's naming recently of Jean-Dominique Senard to succeed Michel Rollier as managing general partner.
Clermont-Ferrand-based Michelin did not name a replacement for Mr. Miraton as head of technology. His current five-year term was to expire next year.
Mr. Miraton, who was responsible for truck tire engineering in North America from 1989-1994, did not say what he intends to do after leaving Michelin.
From 1994-2001 he was involved in Michelin's OTR tire business and was named president of Michelin's worldwide Research & Technology and a member of the group executive council in 2001.
He joined Michelin in 1982 after earning a civil engineering degree from the French Ponts-et-Chaussées School in suburban Paris.
Michelin said Mr. Miraton would receive, in line with accepted French labor regulations, a severance payment equal to the salary, bonus and other compensation he received in 2009 and 2010. Michelin put that sum at $2.57 million, or $1.17 million after taxes.
Mr. Miraton is leaving Michelin as the company embarks on a $135 million, six-year makeover/modernization of its 45-year-old R&D center complex in Ladoux, France.