Nissan’s board of directors is set to meet on Tuesday to discuss potential successors to CEO Makoto Uchida, who faces mounting pressure to step down amid the automaker’s declining financial performance and the collapse of merger talks with Honda, sources familiar with the matter said.
While Uchida’s position has become increasingly untenable, it remains uncertain whether he will depart immediately, the sources added. A new CEO, potentially serving in an interim capacity, would be Nissan’s fourth leader in less than six years.
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Potential candidates for the role include Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Papin, Chief Planning Officer Ivan Espinosa, and Chief Performance Officer Guillaume Cartier, according to sources and Japanese media reports.
Nissan has struggled with declining sales and internal challenges since the 2018 ouster of former chairman Carlos Ghosn, who was accused of financial misconduct. The company has cut its profit forecast three times this financial year, which ends in March, and announced restructuring plans, including factory closures in Thailand and two other unspecified locations. However, Kyodo News reported on Monday that Nissan does not plan to shut any of its five assembly plants in Japan.
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Uchida previously acknowledged the company’s difficulties, stating last month that resolving its ongoing challenges was the priority before considering his departure. His leadership came under further scrutiny after Nissan and Honda ended merger talks that could have created the world’s fourth-largest automaker. The discussions reportedly broke down due to differences in urgency over Nissan’s financial position and Honda’s unexpected proposal that Nissan become its subsidiary.
Speculation has also emerged about a potential partnership between Nissan and Taiwan’s Foxconn, whose electric vehicle division is led by former Nissan executive Jun Seki. Domestic media reports have suggested Seki could be a contender for the CEO role if Nissan were to pursue a tie-up with Honda, Foxconn, and Mitsubishi Motors.
Source: Nissan