Hiroto Saikawa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 14, 1953 Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Alma mater | University of Tokyo School of Economics (1977) |
| Occupation(s) | President and CEO of Nissan Motors |
Hiroto Saikawa (西川 廣人, Saikawa Hiroto) is the former president and former CEO of Nissan.[citation needed] [1][2][3]
Career
Hiroto Saikawa joined Nissan in 1977 after graduating from University.[4] In October 2000, he became General Manager of Purchasing Strategy Dept, and in April 2001, he became Executive General Manager of Renault Nissan Purchasing Organization. In April 2003, he was named Senior Vice President, in April 2005 he was elevated to Executive Vice President, and in June 2005 he was added to the board of directors.[4]
Saikawa served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Nissan from April 2017 until September 2019. Prior to this, he served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. from November 1, 2016, to April 1, 2017, and as the Chief Competitive Officer of Nissan since April 2014.[2]
In 2019, Saikawa told reporters that he and several other Nissan executives received excess compensation.[5] Saikawa received about $440,000 in excess compensation, which he blamed on a company error.[6] In September 2019, Saikawa resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of Nissan.[7]
Arrest of Carlos Ghosn
Following the arrest of Carlos Ghosn, his erstwhile mentor and Chairman of Nissan and Renault, Saikawa expressed deep disappointment, noting that too much power was concentrated in the hands of one individual. The scandal, involving unreported future post retirement compensation and improper use of company funds by Ghosn, was described by Saikawa as a "negative outcome of the long regime of Mr. Ghosn".[8] It should however be noted that, to this date, Mr. Ghosn has not been proven guilty of any wrongdoing since no trial has taken place yet.[9]
When he was asked whether Ghosn was a "tyrant" or a "charismatic leader", Hiroto Saikawa refused to answer.[10] Saikawa said that Nissan's board will meet Thursday, November 22, 2018, to vote on a proposal to have Ghosn dismissed, focusing on minimizing the impact of the shakeup on the company and its employees as well as reducing its reliance on a single leading executive.[11] In the months leading to Ghosn's arrest, Ghosn had indicated he planned to announce at a late-November meeting to have Saikawa replaced, due to poor profit and very weak sales performance, as well as quality issues.[12]
Personal life
Saikawa has kept his personal life private, and few details are known. He graduated from Tokyo University and is married.[13]
References
- ^ "Nissan reports preventive steps to government in wake of data fabrication scandal". japantimes.co.jp. The Japan Times. 26 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Executive Profile Hiroto Saikawa". Bloomberg News.
- ^ Jill Disis and Sherisse Pham (9 September 2019). "Nissan CEO resigns after admitting he was overpaid". CNN. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
- ^ a b "Hiroto Saikawa - Nissan Online".
- ^ "Top Nissan investigator into CEO Hiroto Saikawa's excess pay set to quit carmaker". 7 September 2019.
- ^ Dooley, Ben (5 September 2019). "Nissan Chief Hiroto Saikawa Confirms He Was Improperly Overpaid". The New York Times.
- ^ "Nissan ousts CEO Hiroto Saikawa over pay scandal as carmaker's turmoil deepens". 10 September 2019.
- ^ "Arrest of Nissan's Ghosn in financial probe stuns Japan". ABC News.
- ^ "Carlos Ghosn may be guilty – but the Japanese criminal justice system is in the dock too". The Independent. 23 December 2018.
- ^ "Nissan's Drama Looks a Lot Like a Palace Coup". Bloomberg News. 19 November 2018.
- ^ "The Latest: Renault board to meet after Ghosn arrest". Associated Press. 20 April 2021.
- ^ Kyodo News staff (10 December 2018). "Ghosn planned to oust CEO before his arrest: report". Japan Today. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Shirouzu, Norihiko; Shiraki, Maki (2018-11-23). "Nissan's Hiroto Saikawa, a hard-nosed leader, takes center stage after Ghosn's ouster". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 15:29