Who could be the next Nissan CEO after Uchida?

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida is under deepening pressure over the Japanese carmaker's weakening performance and board members are due to gather on March 11 to discuss potential successors, people familiar with the matter have said.uster of its former chair Carlos Ghosn.

If Uchida does exit, his replacement would become the fourth person to lead the carmaker in a little under six years, reflecting a sign of the management turmoil that has plagued Nissan after the o

The following people are seen as potential candidates to succeed Uchida, according to Japanese media reports and people familiar with the matter:

Jeremie Papin

Papin is Nissan's CFO, having been appointed to the role in January. Previously he served as chairperson of the management committee for the Americas, where he was responsible for the Nissan and luxury Infiniti brands across the Americas.

Before joining Nissan in 2018, the US and French national held roles at the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Renault. He also worked as a financial analyst specialising in the European automotive sector at Deutsche Bank, Lehman Brothers and Nomura.

Ivan Espinosa

Espinosa was appointed chief planning officer in April 2024 as part of a senior management shake-up aimed at accelerating Nissan's pivot to electric vehicles.

He joined Nissan in 2003 and spent much of his career in Mexico. His experience includes positions in Southeast Asia and Europe.

Espinosa has overseen product planning and development initiatives and managed the carmaker's global product strategy and portfolio.

Guillaume Cartier

The 30-year company veteran was named chief performance officer in December, expanding his role while continuing to oversee regions including the Americas, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, India and Europe, and global sales and after-sales. Paris-based

Cartier, who speaks French and English, joined Nissan in 1995 as after sales manager. He also worked for Nissan's junior alliance partner Mitsubishi.

Jun Seki

Seki has been serving as chief strategy officer for the electric vehicle business of Taiwan's Foxconn since early 2023.

He joined Nissan in 1986 and rose through the ranks and at one point headed its China operations.

He was widely considered a contender for the CEO job, but lost out to Uchida in 2019. Seki was tasked with leading Nissan's turnaround plan but departed to join Japanese motor maker Nidec in 2020. Two years later he stepped down from Nidec to take responsibility for weakening earnings.

Seki has been mentioned by domestic media as potential successor if Nissan were to tie up with Honda, Foxconn and Mitsubishi through a four-way deal.