Nissan to announce management shake-up as CEO Uchida’s future remains uncertain

Nissan is set to unveil a major shake-up in its top management next month as part of an accelerated turnaround plan, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The announcement, expected on March 12, comes in the wake of two consecutive quarters of disappointing performance and follows failed merger talks with Honda.

According to the sources, the planned management streamlining is aimed at addressing Nissan’s ongoing crisis. While discussions continue about the strength of the company’s turnaround strategy and the capabilities of its current team, current CEO Makoto Uchida is reportedly expected to retain his position—for now. However, if Uchida were to step down, Nissan might opt for an interim CEO rather than immediately appointing a permanent replacement.

Nissan’s board is carefully evaluating both the progress of its turnaround initiatives—which include the closure of three plants—and the potential need for leadership changes. “It’s only natural for a CEO to eventually pass on the baton,” said Seiji Sugiura, a senior analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory. He cautioned, however, that a change at the top would not provide an instant solution to the company’s broader challenges.

The management shake-up is part of a broader effort to reinvigorate Nissan following a series of setbacks. This month, the automaker reduced its forecast for the current fiscal year for the third time amid a challenging outlook in key markets such as the United States and China. The company had also been exploring a merger with Honda to create a $60 billion car company, but those talks collapsed after Honda proposed a structure that would have made Nissan a subsidiary.

Nissan’s shares rose 3.7% in Tokyo on Thursday, outpacing the Nikkei index’s 0.4% gain. A Nissan spokesperson declined to comment on the forthcoming changes. As the company continues to refine its turnaround strategy, industry observers will be watching closely to see if leadership adjustments will help reverse its recent performance trends.

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