The automotive manufacturer Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has announced the appointment of Mexican Iván Espinosa as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Starting April 1, Espinosa will take over the company, replacing Makoto Uchida, who is stepping down amid a challenging financial outlook for the company.
Who is Nissan’s new CEO?
Iván Espinosa has a strong track record at Nissan. He joined the company in 2003 as a product specialist in Nissan Mexico’s planning division and gradually climbed to key positions within the organization.
In 2009, he was appointed General Manager of the ASEAN region Program Management Office in Thailand. Later, in 2010, he returned to Mexico as Director of Product Planning, a role he held until 2014, when he was promoted to Vice President of Product Planning for Nissan Europe. Since 2024, he had been serving as Chief Planning Officer at Nissan’s headquarters in Japan.
Iván Espinosa’s appointment comes as part of the company’s need to restructure its leadership and outline a financial recovery plan. Nissan has experienced a decline in sales in key markets such as the United States and China, resulting in estimated net losses of 80 billion yen (approximately 498 million euros) in the current fiscal year.
One of Iván Espinosa’s first challenges will be executing the company’s restructuring plan, which includes a 20% reduction in global production and cutting approximately 9,000 jobs. Additionally, he will need to work on restoring investor confidence and improving Nissan’s position in the international market.
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What are the main leadership changes at Nissan?
Iván Espinosa’s appointment is not the only change in Nissan’s top management. The company also announced a restructuring of its Executive Committee, which will report directly to Espinosa starting April 1. Among the most significant changes are:
- Guillaume Cartier, Chief Performance Officer and Chairman of the AMIEO Management Committee, will also take on responsibility for global marketing and customer experience.
- Eiichi Akashi will become the new Chief Technology Officer, replacing Kunio Nakaguro.
- Teiji Hirata will take on the role of Chief Monozukuri Officer, overseeing supply chain management and manufacturing.
- Jérémie Papin, current Chief Financial Officer, will also become an Executive Officer.
- Manabu Sakane will assume the role of Chief of Strategy Acceleration under Espinosa’s direct supervision.
- Tatsuzo Tomita will be responsible for R&D and the transformation of Total Delivered Cost (TdC).
Meanwhile, some executives will step down from their current positions on March 31, including Asako Hoshino, Hideaki Watanabe, and Hideyuki Sakamoto.
Nissan statistics
According to recent projections, Nissan expects to generate US$9.32 billion in revenue in Latin America in 2025, with an annual growth rate of -0.35% until 2029, reaching US$9.19 billion. Unit sales are expected to reach 363,490 vehicles in 2029, with an average price of US$25,134 in 2025.
In Mexico, Nissan is projected to generate US$6.19 billion in revenue in 2025, with an annual growth rate of -0.90% until 2029. Globally, the United States is expected to be Nissan’s highest revenue-generating market, with US$30.75 billion in 2025.
In the NAFTA region, Nissan is estimated to generate US$38.60 billion in revenue in 2025, with an annual growth rate of -2.10% until 2029.
Source: Statista
