Nissan Appoints Insider Ivan Espinosa as Successor to CEO Makoto Uchida

Nissan named chief planning officer Ivan Espinosa to take the helm on April 1, putting an end to weeks of speculation about who would succeed Makoto Uchida as leader of the troubled Japanese automaker. The news of Uchida's departure was confirmed by Nissan in a statement. According to the automaker, a press conference is scheduled for 09:30 GMT.

Following a drop in the third-largest automaker in Japan's earnings and the failure of merger negotiations with Honda, Uchida faced pressure to step down.

It was uncertain if Espinosa's appointment would bring those conversations back to life or lead to more partner investment.

Espinosa, Chief Performance Officer Guillaume Cartier, and Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Papin are all possible successors to Uchida.

Since joining the organization in 2003, Espinosa has worked primarily in Mexico. He has held jobs in Europe and Southeast Asia during his career. Espinosa has been in charge of the automaker's global product strategy and portfolio, as well as product planning and development projects.

He has been in his current position since April 2024, when he joined as part of a shake-up aimed at hastening the automaker's transition to electric vehicles.