Ashwani Gupta
Nissan top executive Ashwani Gupta is leaving the company, the Japanese manufacturer announced Friday, reviving concerns about the firm’s leadership stability.
Gupta was named to an executive troika in October 2019, as the firm tried to regain its footing after the arrest of former CEO Carlos Ghosn.
As COO, the Indian national swiftly established himself as one of the company’s key public faces, looming large at quarterly earnings news conferences, and was projected as a potential future CEO.
However, prior to Friday’s statement, a source close to the situation told media personnel that Gupta was stepping down, citing rivalry between him and CEO Makoto Uchida.
According to the source, he had a clear ambition to be the top man. He wasn’t driven out, but he knew it wouldn’t be possible.
“Gupta chose to leave the company to pursue other opportunities effective June 27”, Nissan said, without explaining why.
According to the automaker, a new executive team will be introduced on the same day.
Nissan has suffered a string of setbacks in recent years, including Ghosn’s arrest and ensuing internal instability, as well as falling sales and the consequences of the pandemic and supply chain disruptions.
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