Nissan Motors has a new CEO. On February 22, the Japanese
automaker announced that Hiroto Saikawa will become its new CEO
on April 1, 2017. Saikawa, who currently serves as the company’s co-CEO, will take
over for Nissan’s long-time chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “I am confident that the management team I have developed at
Nissan over the past 18 years has the talent and experience to
meet the company’s operational and strategic goals,” the Brazilian-Lebanese-French CEO Carlos Ghosn said
in a statement.
“Having recently taken on new responsibilities at Mitsubishi
Motors, and taking into consideration the upcoming Nissan general
shareholders meeting, I have decided that the time is right for
Hiroto Saikawa to succeed me as Nissan’s CEO.” Even though Ghosn will relinquish his spot as the CEO, he will
retain his position as the company’s chairman. In addition, Ghosn
will remain the CEO of Renault Group, chairman of Mitsubishi
Motors, as well as chairman and CEO of the
Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance.
According to a Nissan spokesperson, the announcement was
pre-planned and will free up time for Ghosn to concentrate his
work on the three-company alliance. “Mr. Ghosn proposed the move to Nissan’s board,” the same
spokesperson told Business Insider. In October 2016, Nissan took a 34% controlling stake in
Mitsubishi Motors valued at $2.3 billion. With Nissan and Renault
surging forward, Ghosn is likely to spend of much his energy
turning around the struggling Japanese automaker.
