Tokyo - Nissan today announced management changes effective April 1, 2002, that will support the implementation of Nissan 180, its 3-year business plan.
"As we launch the Nissan 180 plan in a competitive global environment, we will continue to reinforce, focus and streamline our organization," said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's President & CEO.
"Our main task for FY2002," Mr. Ghosn said, "is to successfully launch on time 12 all-new innovative models globally with the targeted quality and cost levels. To support this, we will focus on our manufacturing excellence as well as engineering expertise from vehicles to powertrains.
"In Engineering, we will bring vehicle engineering and powertrain development closer.
"Finally, as we plan to fully enter the Chinese market this year, we will adapt our organization to the challenges we will face in this fast-growing market."
To fulfill these objectives, Tadao Takahashi, SVP, will assume the position of EVP responsible for Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. Mr Takahashi will succeed Hisayoshi Kojima, EVP, who is proposed to become president of JATCO. Mr Takahashi will become a member of the 8-person Executive Committee and will be proposed as a board member at the next General Shareholders meeting.
Mr Takahashi will also oversee Industrial Machinery and Marine Business.
Hidetoshi Imazu will newly assume Mr Takahashi's current role as SVP of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. Yoshimasa Yamamoto becomes VP of Powertrain Production Engineering, reporting directly to Shigeru Takagi, SVP. Noboru Sekiguchi will become VP in charge of the Industrial Machinery Division and Marine Administration Office.
In Engineering related moves, Iwao Nakamura, SVP, is proposed to become President of Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. Hajime Kawasaki, SVP, will lead Customer Service Division and related activities. President of Nissan Technical Center North America, Shigeo Ishida, will return to Japan to succeed him as SVP of Powertrain Engineering.
Moreover, in acknowledging the important role that environmental, safety and IT performances play in Nissan's R&D, VP Hiroyasu Kan will become SVP and oversee Environmental and Safety Engineering, Advanced Engineering and Electronics Engineering. All Engineering related functions continue to report to Nobuo Okubo, EVP.
As for China, a special China Operations will be established in April. Katsumi Nakamura, SVP, will head this team.
SVP Toshiyuki Shiga of Overseas Sales, currently responsible for Asian coverage as well as of Oceania and Central and South Americas, will add to his "GOM" coverage Middle East and Africa. Effectively he will head all General Overseas Market (GOM) Sales. GOM is defined as Nissan markets outside of Japan, North America and Europe.
Keisuke Takebe, SVP for Sales in Middle East and Africa, will be proposed as vice president of Prince Osaka. Nissan plans to strengthen its domestic sales network by moving or assigning new presidents for 13 consolidated companies in Japan at the start of the fiscal year.
Other changes involve:
Vice Chairman Kanemitsu Anraku is proposed as President of Nissan Real Estate Development Corporation. Takeshi Isayama, will inherit Mr Anraku's role in overseeing Government and External Affairs and remain as sole Vice Chairman at Nissan.
Kazuhiko Toida, SVP, will newly establish a Global Aftersales Division and bridge closely the Parts and Aftersales Service Divisions. This function will report to Norio Matsumura, EVP, who will continue to reinforce the Global Sales & Marketing functions around the world.
A new Market Intelligence Department will be established, with Asako Hoshino joining the company as VP and reporting to Patrick Pelata, EVP.
Akira Sato, General Manager, will become VP for Treasury, reporting to the CFO. Deputy General Manager of Treasury in charge of Investor Relations, Dominique Thormann, will become VP of a combined Global Communications and Investor Relations function, reporting to the President & CEO. Akira Kaetsu, Deputy General Manager of Organization Development, will become VP in charge of Support, Organization and Administrative Efficiency.
In other changes, SVP Masahiko Aoki is proposed as President of Nissan Koei Co., Ltd. and Ryoso Kodama, SVP, as President of Nissan Trading Co., Ltd.
Nissan 180, aiming for 1 million additional unit sales on an annualized basis at the end of FY2004, 8 percent operating margin, and "zero debt," is a company-wide profitable growth plan that will succeed the Nissan Revival Plan (NRP). NRP, which was announced on October 18, 1999, was originally a 3-year plan launched in FY2000 to turn the company back immediately to net profitability, achieve a minimum consolidated operating margin of 4.5 percent, and halve net automotive debt to no more than 700 billion yen.
These commitments will be achieved in March 2002, a year in advance of schedule, giving way to the implementation of the Nissan 180 plan.
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