Nissan Announces New Global Operations
16 March 2000
Nissan Announces New Global Operations
TOKYO, March 16 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (NML) announced
today steps to globalize its organization and streamline decision making,
underlining the pace of change which started five months ago with the launch
of the company's comprehensive Revival Plan. The changes will be effective
from April 1, 2000.
Carlos Ghosn, Nissan chief operating officer, stressed the importance of
globalizing Nissan's management to eliminate barriers and empower management
for fast and effective decision making. Nissan's world headquarters will
develop global strategies and targets with regional management who will be
fully empowered and responsible for swift implementation. Global management's
priorities are to better respond to the changing needs of world markets and
promote cross functional work, in order to enhance the company's profitability
and growth.
"Implementing the Nissan Revival Plan demands that we move quickly and our
future organization will help us speed up and improve decision making," Ghosn
said. "We are determined to build a truly global organization, which means
one corporate strategy enriched and implemented by empowered local
management."
Yoshikazu Hanawa remains chairman and chief executive officer. He will
propose at the Board Meeting following the annual shareholders' meeting in
June that his current title of president is assumed by Ghosn in addition to
his function as COO.
Kanemitsu Anraku will leave the board* and executive committee, which will
both be reduced from 10 to nine members. Anraku will become vice chairman
responsible for external and government affairs. Financial operations will be
streamlined under Thierry Moulonguet who is appointed chief financial officer
and executive vice president for finance and information systems.
Highlighting the importance of information technology, Shozo Kurihara, is
appointed vice president and chief information officer with global
responsibility.
Overseas, the North American and European organizations will be
streamlined through the appointment of Norio Matsumura, executive vice
president, as head of the newly formed management committees in these regions.
This will strengthen and speed up the communication and decision making
between the regions on one side, and Nissan's world headquarters and global
functions on the other. These committees will be the key decision making
bodies in their regions.
The management committees will consist of regional senior vice presidents
responsible for: sales and marketing; manufacturing, purchasing and quality;
finance and administration; and research and development. The North American
committee will also include the heads of Canadian and Mexican operations. In
order to strengthen global management, each regional senior vice president
will have dual reporting lines with accountability for regional profitability
and efficiency of their respective function.
Nissan North America president Nobuo Araki will return to Japan to another
assignment. Nissan Europe president Sir Ian Gibson will retire from executive
duties in Europe but will join the Nissan Europe supervisory board. In
addition, he will be in charge of special European projects reporting to
Matsumura.
A global marketing team will be established, headed by senior vice
president Jean-Jacques Le Goff, complementing the present regional marketing
organizations. Purchasing, finance, manufacturing, research and development
have already come under global management. Underscoring the importance of the
company's parts operations, Nissan will strengthen its worldwide parts
business unit headed by senior vice president Yukio Kitahora who returns from
Nissan North America.
To enhance Nissan's marketing in Japan, Shiro Tomii has been appointed
senior vice president, marketing, Japan. In addition, support for local
markets will be emphasized by the appointment of senior vice presidents
Toshiyuki Shiga -- Asia, Oceania, Central and South America; and Keisuke
Takebe -- Middle East and Africa.
Reporting directly to the COO will be senior vice presidents Masahiko Aoki
and Kuniaki Sasaki, respectively responsible for human resources and
administration of Nissan's affiliated companies.
The Nissan Revival Plan was announced on October 18, 1999. The NRP
emphasizes three major commitments: return Nissan to profitability by fiscal
year 2000; achieve a consolidated operating profit of 4.5 per cent of sales
and reduce net automotive debt by a half to 700 billion Yen by fiscal year
2002.
* Effective after the annual shareholders' meeting in June.