Nissan appointed its planning director, Ivan Espinosa, as CEO on Tuesday, replacing Makoto Uchida, thus putting an end to weeks of speculation about the appointment of the new head of the Japanese brand.
Uchida was under pressure to resign as CEO of Nissan after the Japanese brand reported negative results and following the failure of negotiations for a merger with Honda.
Recall that Honda and Nissan announced at the end of 2024 negotiations to potentially create the third-largest car manufacturer in the world by sales, behind Toyota and Volkswagen. The merger, which would also involve Mitsubishi Motors, aimed to reduce costs and increase competitiveness in electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous driving technology.
However, in February, the negotiations failed, plunging Nissan into even more uncertainty at a time when Chinese electric vehicle companies are revolutionizing the sector.
The failure of the negotiations between the two Japanese automakers was based on Honda’s proposal to make Nissan a wholly-owned subsidiary within the joint structure, which the latter immediately rejected.
Nissan has now announced in a statement that Ivan Espinosa has been appointed as executive representative, chairman, and CEO of Nissan and will assume the new position starting April 1st.
Ivan Espinosa, who joined Nissan in 2003, has spent much of his career in Mexico. His experience also extends to positions in Southeast Asia and Europe, where he oversaw product planning and development initiatives and managed the brand’s global product strategy and portfolio.
