The company, a supplier of components for Formula 1 cars, said Thompson planned to retire before the end of September 2018 and it was looking for a replacement.

Thompson, who became CEO in 1996, has led a major restructuring of the group, divesting its three traditional core businesses, the company said.

(Reporting by Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)