Yoshikazu Hanawa
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
In 1989 he served as president of Nissan North America, overseeing sales in the United States. He became Executive Vice President of Nissan Motor in 1991 and, five years later, President in June 1996. Whereas his predecessor Yoshifumi Tsuji came from production, having worked at the Yokohama and Tochigi plants, Hanawa rose to head the parent from overseas sales. Having finished cutting domestic production capacity, Nissan next installed an executive who knew overseas markets.
Selection
In June 1996 he succeeded Yoshifumi Tsuji as President. In the fiscal year ended March 1996, the year before, consolidated net sales were ¥6,039.1 billion against a net loss of ¥88.4 billion, the fourth straight year of losses since FY ended March 1993. After he took office the company returned to a profit of ¥77.7 billion in FY ended March 1997, but at the end of 1997 Honda overtook it in monthly domestic sales, and interest-bearing debt excluding sales finance had swelled above ¥1 trillion. A culture of blaming others: that was Hanawa's verdict on his own company.
Initiatives
In March 1999 he concluded an alliance agreement with France's Renault including a capital investment. Carlos Ghosn arrived as Chief Operating Officer that June, and the Nissan Revival Plan was drawn up in October. Built on the closure of five domestic plants, about 21,000 job cuts, the sale of keiretsu shareholdings and the reduction of purchasing costs, it targeted cost reductions totaling around ¥1 trillion. It also set a goal of halving interest-bearing debt excluding sales finance from about ¥1.4 trillion to around ¥700 billion. Having decided on the alliance and the restructuring plan, he stepped down as President in June 2000.
Career
Career
Nissan Motor
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Executive Vice President |
| Jun 1996 | President |
| Jun 2000 | Stepped down as President |
| Jun 2000 | Stepped down as President |
North America Nissan
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1989 | President |