Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida Resigns, Case Of Failed Merger With Honda?

CEO of Nissan Makoto Uchida. (Doc. Nissan Global)

JAKARTA - The failure of the merger of Nissan and Honda has led to a lot of speculation, including the great opportunity for other companies to merge with Nissan, Foxcoon.

Not only that, last week news emerged that Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida would step down because the company would again open up opportunities to merge with Honda.

Now, that news is true. Quoted from the Carscoops website, Wednesday, February 12, Nissan has announced a reshuffle in his leadership, and this is a major overhaul. The company revealed that CEO Makoto Uchida will resign, and Ivan Espinosa, who currently serves as head of planning, will take over from April 1, 2025.

This ended weeks of speculation about who would replace Uchida, who has led the slumping automaker for more than five years.

Espinosa took the role amid challenging industrial conditions and unsatisfactory performance. Uchida, who took over in 2019 after the Carlos Ghosn scandal, led the recovery in 2022 and 2023. However, in 2024 tells a different story, with declining sales, disappointing financial results, and restructuring plans that include production cuts and layoffs.

According to the Independent External Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nissan Yasushi Kimura, leadership changes are necessary and important for the company's survival.

"Given the challenges across industry and Nissan's performance, we believe that it is necessary at the same time to change the top management team. Nissan is in the middle of a transformation. We believe we have chosen the right person to qualify to lead the company at this time," said Yasushi Kimura.

Regarding his departure, Uchida took a more diplomatic approach in explaining everything. He said that his resignation was decided by the board of directors.

"As I said last month, I believe that clarifying Nissan's director as soon as possible and quickly handing over the baton to my successor is a way to take responsibility as company CEO. For this purpose, I have worked hard to improve Nissan's performance," said Uchida.

However, Uchida acknowledged that since revealing his recovery plan last fall, both internal and external critics have questioned his leadership.

"Nissan's main priority at this time is to get away from the current situation as quickly as possible and bring the company back to its growth path," he added.

That way, does Nissan again open up opportunities for a merger with Honda? Of course the next step is worth waiting for.