Nissan To Cut Top Executive Positions By 20%

Nissan Motor Co. announced on March 19, 2025, that it will streamline its top management structure, reducing executive positions by 20% to improve decision-making efficiency as part of its turnaround strategy, Kyodo News reported.

Under the new structure, Nissan’s top management will transition to a "single-layer" framework, consolidating corporate officer roles under the title of "corporate executive." I Photo: Nissan

The changes, effective April 1, coincide with the appointment of new CEO Ivan Espinosa, who is set to replace Makoto Uchida. Nissan hopes the restructuring will create "a streamlined and borderless organization," the Japanese automaker stated.

Earlier this month, Nissan announced Uchida’s replacement following the collapse of merger talks with Honda Motor Co., as reported by Mainichi Japan.

The automaker has faced a sharp decline in profits—more than 90% in the nine months through December—due to sluggish sales in key markets, including the U.S. and China.

Under the new structure, Nissan’s top management will transition to a "single-layer" framework, consolidating corporate officer roles under the title of "corporate executive."

The move will reduce the number of executive positions from 42 to 33. While simplifying its leadership structure, Nissan also aims to empower regional operations and clarify roles and responsibilities within the organization.