A top performer walks away from the Nissan Crisis.
Jun Seki, currently executive officer and vice COO has resigned from Nissan Motor Company. Nissan had no choice in AutoInformed’s view to accept his abdication. Reuters said Jun Seki reportedly plans to join the Japanese manufacturer Nidec – a Kyoto-based supplier of automotive components as president and chief operating officer. Speculation has it he left because he was passed over for the top job in the thus far ineffective Nissan turnaround.
This is the latest fallout, and far from last of the Ghosn matter. He was arrested and charged last year on numerous financial fraud charges, ones that he denies, as well as illegal executive compensation schemes.
The Nissan numbers are grim in a strong global market. Click to Enlarge.
The Nissan Corporate governance crisis is ongoing and comes as Nissan has started its new management under Representative Executive Officer, president and CEO Makoto Uchida as of December 1, 2019. Seki was to be a key executive in administering the turn-around that seeks to halt slumping sales, confusing brand images and expensive incentive programs.
Nissan is trying to “regain trust, restore the company’s performance and work on its business transformation,” it said in a terse statement.
Seki had more than 30 years with Nissan. Seki gained diverse experience across a number of Nissan’s business units and international markets. He has held roles including chairman of the Management Committee for China and president of Dongfeng Motor Company – the joint venture between Nissan and Dongfeng Motor Group in China; and as corporate vice president in MC-Asia Support. Following this, Seki served as Alliance senior vice president of production engineering, in which capacity he worked to maximize synergies within manufacturing.
Since May 2019, he has served as senior vice president of performance recovery at Nissan, leading the company’s efforts to increase profitability and performance both domestically and internationally. He is fluent in English and Japanese, but apparently not French.
Jun Seki Profile
- December 2019: Executive officer, vice-COO Performance recovery, Global Product Planning, Global Program Management, Global Market Intelligence, Vehicle Information Technology, new mobility service
- May 2019: Senior vice president, performance recovery
- April 2018: Senior vice president, Production Engineering, Alliance senior vice president
- January 2014: Senior vice president, Chairman of Management Committee for China (MC China) President, Dongfeng Motor Co.
- April 2013: Vice president, Dongfeng Motor Co, Ltd.
- April 2012: Corporate vice president, Nissan Motor Co. MC-ASIA Support, Japan/Asia Business Management Office, Domestic Network Management Department, Global Asset Management Department, Administration Department for Affiliated Companies, Marine Administration Office
- Apr 2009: Program director, Program Directors Office
- Apr 2007: Senior manager, Manufacturing Strategy Planning
- Apr 2006: Senior manager, Powertrain Production Engineering
- August 2001: Manager, Nissan North America Inc.
- July 1999: Manager, Powertrain Production Engineering Department
- April 1986: Joined Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
AutoInformed on
- Nissan Gets Tiny $24m SESC Kiss for False Filings
- Nissan Motor Net Income Dives -73.5% to 65.4 Billion Yen
- SEC Charges and Settles False Financial Disclosures Against Nissan, Former CEO Carlos Ghosn, Former Director Greg Kelly
- Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa Forced Out Over Ghosn Matter
- Mitsubishi Motors North America to Move U.S. Headquarters Closer to Nissan in Franklin, Tennessee
- Nissan Shareholders Elect 7 Independent Directors Out of 11
- Renault, Nissan Ink Deal with Waymo on Driverless Mobility
- Renault Returns the Nissan Abstinence Vote Favor
- Nissan Moves China Design Center to Shanghai
- Renault Nissan Establish Joint Innovation Hub in China
- Ghosn – Muzzled – Bites Back After Nissan Board Ouster
- Directors Carlos Ghosn, Greg Kelly Voted Out at Nissan
- Ghosn Fallout – Nissan Board Changes
- Nissan LEAF at 400,000 Sales as IMQ Crossover EV Due in 2022
- First Look: 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport Freshening
- Ghosn to be Gone at Next Nissan Shareholders Meeting
- Was 2008 the Year When Carlos Ghosn Went Rogue? Ghosn’s Former Speechwriter on What He Did for Nissan – And What That Did to Him
- Nissan Mired in Japanese Corporate Governance Scandals
- Ghosn, Kelly and Nissan Motor Corp. Indicted for Violating The Japan Financial Instruments and Exchange Act
- Nissan Board Deletes Carlos Ghosn as Chairman and Director
- Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn Arrested and About to be Sacked by Board for Financial Misconduct. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance Position Threatened.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.’s Nomination Committee yesterday selected Hideyuki Sakamoto as a candidate for the company’s board of directors, following the acceptance of current Vice-COO Jun Seki’s intention to resign.
Sakamoto, who as a Nissan executive officer and executive vice president is responsible for Manufacturing and SCM Operations and who previously as executive vice president was responsible for Product Engineering, has considerable experience and expertise in the company’s technology and manufacturing fields. The committee recognizes Sakamoto as fully qualified to be a Nissan director. The addition of Sakamoto’s in-depth and broad knowledge of Nissan’s manufacturing and Product Engineering operations—a source of the company’s strength—will be a driving force for the new era of Nissan and provide further solidification to the new management team.
The Nomination Committee reported its selection at an extraordinary meeting of the company’s board of directors today. The board of directors decided on proposals to be listed in a convocation letter for the company’s extraordinary meeting of shareholders to be held on February 18, 2020.