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News of  March 21, 2001

Nissan Announces Global Management Changes; Designed to Further Strengthen Impact of Nissan Revival Plan

TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced changes in organization to strengthen management ranks worldwide. The company is making these changes to ensure the continuation of the swift and strong implementation of the Nissan Revival Plan announced on October 18, 1999, and to prepare for the period beyond.

The Executive Committee has been streamlined to eight members as Mr. Hiroshi Moriyama, EVP of domestic marketing and sales group, leaves the committee on April 1st, 2001 and be proposed as a company auditor at the June General Shareholders meeting.

As chairman of the Management Committee, Mr. Ghosn will directly oversee all operations in Japan.  He will also directly monitor the management of the Alliance with Renault.

The company has created a Global Sales and Marketing organization headed by Mr. Norio Matsumura, currently EVP of overseas operations group.  Mr. Matsumura will lead the sales and marketing function worldwide as the company continues its intensive new product launch with 18 of the 22 products under the NRP remaining to be launched over the next two years.

Mr. Itaru Koeda, EVP of purchasing group, will take on the additional role of chairman of the European management committee.  The European management team will also be streamlined as Sir Ian Gibson, SVP, retires on April 1, 2001.

In Japan, Mr. Yukio Kitahora, currently SVP of Parts Business Unit will assume the position of SVP of domestic sales.  In this position he will retain his current responsibility of head of domestic dealer development.  Further strengthening the domestic sales operations, Mr. Toshiro Tanaka, currently GM of domestic service operations, will become VP of sales in Japan, reporting to Mr. Kitahora.

Mr. Kazuhiko Toida will assume the position of SVP of the Global Parts Business Unit, reporting to Mr. Matsumura.

Additionally in Japan, Nissan will nominate new presidents in twenty for domestic subsidiary dealerships, including Mr. Akihiro Kojima, currently SVP of domestic sales, and Mr. Kiyoharu Owada, currently President of Nissan Canada.  "We are putting in place new leadership at our domestic subsidiary dealers to lay the groundwork for improved profitability and stronger market presence in our home market," said Ghosn.  Nissan will launch eleven new models into the market in the coming two years.

Katsumi Nakamura will become SVP in his current role of program director. This move emphasizes the importance of the six program directors at Nissan in developing new products and managing their total life cycle.  Under the new organization, each regional management committee (Japan, North America, Europe and General Overseas Markets) will include one program director.

The company's renewed focus on technology will be supported by the promotion of Mr. Hiroyasu Kan to vice president of a strengthened Advanced Engineering Division including powertrain.

Mr. Shiro Nakamura, currently VP of design will become SVP in a move that highlights the importance of design within the company.  Mr. Nakamura's duties will not change as he continues to head Nissan's global design organization. Mr. Kuniyuki Watanabe, currently general manager of resource management department in R&D, will become the new SVP of human resources, reporting directly to the president.  Mr. Watanabe will continue the reform on HR policies begun under Mr. Masahiko Aoki who moves to a newly created position of SVP for the support, organization and administrative efficiency division.

In April of 2000, Nissan implemented regional management committees to strengthen and speed up the communication and decision making between the regions on one side, and Nissan's world headquarters and global functions on the other.  On September 14, 2000, Nissan also announced a new lean global headquarters organization (GNX) to define and strengthen the roles of global and regional management teams.

The Nissan Revival Plan was announced on October 18, 1999.  The NRP emphasizes three major commitments: return Nissan to net profitability in fiscal year 2000; achieve a minimum consolidated operating margin of 4.5 per cent and reduce net automotive debt by a half to no more than 700 billion Yen by the end of fiscal year 2002.

(March 20, 2001)

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