Nissan announces senior management changes in India

Nissan Motor Limited today announced changes to its senior management team in India and in the region, which will continue establishing Nissan as an increasingly important brand in one of its key strategic world markets. Trevor Mann, currently SVP, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Production Engineering and Purchasing for Europe in Nissan International S.A. is appointed SVP Global Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Operating Committee – Africa, Middle East and India (OC-AMI). Toru Hasegawa, currently President, Nissan Motor Asia Pacific Co. Ltd (NMAP) and Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co. Ltd and Regional Vice President, Asia & Oceania Operations is appointed Corporate Vice President, Africa, Middle East and India (AMI). Mr Hasegawa, who will report to Trevor Mann replaces Gilles Normand who is leaving to take up a senior position with Nissan’s Alliance partner, Renault. Mr Hasegawa joined Nissan in 1981 and has held a number of senior posts within the company. These include Managing Director of Nissan Middle East where he oversaw an 80% increase in regional sales during 2005 – 2008.

As CVP for the AMI region, from April 1st Mr Hasegawa will be in charge of all related consolidated companies within the region and will hold responsibility for overall performance including manufacturing, sales and purchasing functions. Nissan is also announcing that Takayuki Ishida, currently General Manager, IndiaDepartment at Nissan Motor Co. Ltd in Japan will relocate to Chennai to take up the role of Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd (NMIPL). As head of NMIPL, Mr Ishida will be responsible for Nissan’s continued expansion within the high-growth Indian market including product introduction, sales and network development, and will report to Toru Hasegawa. Kiminobu Tokuyama, who is currently Managing Director of Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. is returning to Japan to take up an executive position with the Yorozu Corporation, which has been one of the leading automobile component suppliers of Nissan and is fast expanding its overseas operations. Toshihiko Sano, currently General Manager, Vehicle Production Engineering with Nissan Motor Co Ltd. in Japan (NML),  is promoted to Managing Director, Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt. Ltd. (RNAIPL).

As such, he will relocate to Chennai and assume responsibility for Nissan’s manufacturing operations at the Alliance production facility in Oragadam, reporting to Toru Hasegawa. Kou Kimura, currently MD of the Chennai plant, will return to Japan to take up a senior position within NML’s Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering Division. Mr Sano has over 30 years experience with Nissan working in several production facilities in Japan, Indonesia and North America in a range of key engineering roles, including new model launch preparation. One of his responsibilities at RNAIPL will be to manage the continued development of the Chennai plant, which recently doubled its production capacity to 400,000 units per year. Toru Hasegawa commented: “Nissan is becoming an increasingly significant presence in India. We recently added to our already broad product range with the popular Sunny sedan and announced that the all-new Evalia will go into production in Chennai this summer. “We are targeting 1 lakh vehicle sales in India by FY2013 supported by a tripling of our retail network. And, from 2014, we will introduce the Datsun brand focusing on quality-driven products that are relevant to our Indian customers. “Achieving our ambitions for India will be challenging, but I have every confidence that the local management team we are announcing today will build on the significant achievements of their predecessors.”