After failing to negotiate a merger with Honda, Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida is out.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has announced sweeping changes to its senior management team including a new CEO appointment – Ivan Espinosa. Mr Espinosa replaces Makoto Uchida starting 1st April 2025 and currently serves as Nissan’s chief planning officer.
Executive Committee Changes
The company has revealed significant restructuring of its Executive Committee, which will report directly to incoming CEO Espinosa:
- Guillaume Cartier will expand his responsibilities as chief performance officer to include global marketing and customer experience
- Eiichi Akashi will be promoted to chief technology officer, replacing Kunio Nakaguro
- Teiji Hirata will become chief monozukuri officer, taking over manufacturing and supply chain management from Hideyuki Sakamoto
- Jeremie Papin continues as chief financial officer and gains executive officer status
- Stephen Ma, Mitsuro Antoku, and Toru Ihara will maintain their current positions
Outgoing CEO Uchida and Sakamoto will remain directors until the shareholders’ meeting in June.
Additional Management Appointments
Several other key appointments have been announced:
- Shohei Yamazaki’s role will expand to include oversight of affiliate companies
- Christian Meunier will continue leading the Americas region
- Tatsuzo Tomita will assume Akashi’s R&D responsibilities and lead Total Delivered Cost Transformation
- Manabu Sakane will become chief of Strategy Acceleration
Departing Executives
Multiple executives will leave their positions on March 31, including Nakaguro, Sakamoto, Uchida, Asako Hoshino (Chief Brand & Customer Officer), and Hideaki Watanabe (Chief Strategy & Corporate Affairs Officer).
Additional Commentary
It was rumoured that the ousting of Carlos Ghosn happened in part because there was disatisfaction that a foreigner was at the head of such an important Japanese company. Well it looks like if that was true, they’re back to square one. Nissan under outgoing CEO Uchida has not managed to secure any kind of merger with Honda after revealing that they were in dire straits, financially.
