Hiroto Saikawa has been appointed Nissan’s chief executive officer at the recommendation of current boss, Carlos Ghosn.
Ghosn will continue to serve as chairman of the board, and he will seek a renewal of his mandate at the company’s general shareholders meeting in June 2017.
The management evolution follows the recent expansion of the Renault-Nissan Alliance to include Mitsubishi Motors, which positions the Alliance among the top automotive groups in terms of scale.
As chairman of all three Alliance companies, and as chief executive of the Renault Group, Ghosn will now focus on the expansion and stewardship of the Alliance.
Saikawa currently serves as Nissan’s co-chief executive and a representative director.
Saikawa joined Nissan in 1977, and since 1999 he has served in a variety of senior management positions, including chairman of the management committees of the Americas and Europe, as well as the executive vice president of purchasing.
In addition to his responsibilities at Nissan, Saikawa is the current chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).
He previously served as a member of the board of directors of Renault between 2006 and 2016. Between April 2013 and October 2016, he was Nissan’s chief competitive officer.
Sakawa will start his tenure as Nissan chief executive on April 1, 2017.
Join the conversation