Hiroto Saikawa
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined Nissan Motor in April 1977. It took him 26 years to reach the executive ranks, becoming Senior Vice President in April 2003. In November 2016 he became co-CEO, sharing management with Carlos Ghosn. The largest shareholder was Renault, whose stake barely moved, from 44.33% in the fiscal year ended March 2010 to 43.4% in FY ended March 2015. A career man without capital took on a share of management under Renault's umbrella.
Selection
In April 2017 he succeeded Carlos Ghosn as President and CEO. Having stood alongside Ghosn as co-CEO since the previous November, he took over the role of President and CEO, while Ghosn remained as Chairman. In the fiscal year ended March 2017, the year before, net sales were ¥11,720.0 billion and operating income ¥742.2 billion. It came shortly after Nissan concluded an alliance agreement including a capital investment with Mitsubishi Motors in May 2016 and underwrote a third-party allotment that October, bringing it under its umbrella. The appointment appears to have shifted day-to-day execution to a career man while Ghosn kept command of expansion.
Initiatives
In October 2017 it came to light that unqualified employees had been performing final vehicle inspections, leading to a halt in shipments from all domestic plants and a large-scale recall. In November 2018 Carlos Ghosn was arrested, and the board removed him as Chairman on the 22nd. Saikawa became Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO in June 2019 and stepped down that September after two years and five months. In FY ended March 2019, his final year, net sales were ¥11,574.2 billion and operating income ¥318.2 billion, down more than 40% from ¥574.8 billion the previous year.
Career
Career
Nissan Motor
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1977 | Joined |
| Apr 2003 | Managing Executive Officer |
| Nov 2016 | Co-Chief Executive Officer |
| Apr 2017 | President and CEO |
| Jun 2019 | Representative Corporate Executive Officer, President and CEO |
| Sep 2019 | Stepped down as President |