Carlos Ghosn, who leads Nissan and Renault, has tapped Hiroto Saikawa, a veteran Japanese executive at Nissan, to replace him as chief executive at the Japanese automaker, although Ghosn will stay on as chairman.
Nissan Motor Co., based in Yokohama, made the announcement in a statement Thursday. The appointment, effective April 1, will be up for shareholders' approval in June.
Besides leading the Nissan-Renault alliance, Ghosn is also chairman at scandal-ridden Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in which Nissan took a controlling stake last year. Ghosn said he needs to focus on the three-automaker alliance.
Ghosn, sent in by Renault SA of France in 1999, led near-bankrupt Nissan to a turnaround, but has said for years he hoped to hand over the running of Nissan.