Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has announced significant changes in its executive leadership during a press conference held today. As the company progresses toward its short- and mid-term objectives, it has unveiled a substantially renewed leadership team to strengthen its long-term growth strategy.
Effective from April 1, the Board of Directors has approved new titles and areas of responsibility for its representative executive officers and executive committee members. Currently serving as Chief Planning Officer, Ivan Espinosa has been appointed as Representative Executive Officer, President, and CEO, replacing Makoto Uchida.
Key Executive Changes Effective April 1:
Nissan has also announced several key changes within its Executive Committee, all of whom will report to Espinosa:
- Guillaume Cartier, currently Chief Performance Officer (CPO) and Chairman of the AMIEO Management Committee, will assume an expanded role that includes global marketing and customer experience.
- Eiichi Akashi, presently Corporate Vice President (CVP) of Vehicle Planning and Component Engineering, will replace Kunio Nakaguro as Chief Technology Officer and Executive Officer.
- Teiji Hirata, currently CVP of Vehicle Manufacturing Engineering and Development, will succeed Hideyuki Sakamoto as Chief of Monozukuri and Executive Officer, responsible for Production and Supply Chain Management.
- Jeremy Papin, Chief Financial Officer, will also be appointed as Executive Officer.
- Stephen Ma, Chairman of the China Management Committee; Mitsuro Antoku, Chief Quality Officer; and Toru Ihara, Chief Human Resources Officer, will continue in their current roles.
Uchida and Sakamoto will remain on the Board of Directors until Nissan’s annual general shareholders’ meeting scheduled for June.
Additional Key Leadership Appointments:
- Shohei Yamazaki, Chairman of the Japan-ASEAN Management Committee, will take on an expanded role overseeing affiliated companies.
- Christian Meunier, Chairman of the Americas Management Committee, will continue in his current role.
- Tatsuzo Tomita, currently CVP of Product Development No.2, will take over Akashi’s R&D responsibilities and serve as the Total Delivered Cost (TdC) Transformation Chief, reporting to Espinosa.
- Manabu Sakane, presently CVP of Purchasing, will assume the role of Strategy Acceleration Chief under Espinosa’s leadership.
Executives Departing from Their Roles:
Alongside Nakaguro, Sakamoto, and Uchida, the following executives will step down from their current positions on March 31:
- Asako Hoshino, Chief Brand and Customer Officer.
- Hideaki Watanabe, Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer.
Nissan’s leadership restructuring marks a strategic shift in aligning its future growth objectives with a dynamic executive team. These changes emphasize the company’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and long-term business transformation.
