Carlos Ghosn has made the decision to relinquish his position as chief executive and president of Nissan after 16 years at the helm.
Filling Ghosn’s job will be Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan’s current co-chief executive who will assume the position of CEO and president on April 1, 2017.
Ghosn will continue to serve as the chairman of the board of directors and will seek to renew his position at a general shareholders meeting in June. His position to leave his post at Nissan comes as a surprise, but is understandable.
After all, Ghosn is already the chief executive of the Renault Group, the chairman of the Nissan-Renault Alliance and the new chairman of Mitsubishi. Ghosn will have his hands full turning around struggling Mitsubishi Motors, which Nissan took a controlling stake last year.
In a statement, Ghosn said “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. 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,” he said.
Saikawa first started working for Nissan in 1977 and has previously served as the brand’s chief competitive officer. He was also a member of the board of directors for Renault between 2006 and 2016.
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