The French carmaker Renault named a former Volkswagen executive as its chief executive on Tuesday, a crucial step as it tries to revive its troubled alliance with the Japanese carmaker Nissan.

The executive, Luca de Meo, 52, recently stepped down as the president of SEAT, a Spanish car brand that has become one of Volkswagen’s best-performing divisions since he took over in 2015.

Mr. de Meo will take office on July 1, Renault said. Until then, Clotilde Delbos, Renault’s chief financial officer, will remain interim chief executive.

“Luca de Meo is a great strategist and visionary of a rapidly changing automotive world,” Jean-Dominique Senard, the Renault chairman, said in a statement.