Nissan's Saikawa to stay on as president, Renault chief to join board: sources

[TOKYO] Japan's Nissan Motor will keep Hiroto Saikawa on as president and will bring in the chief executive officer of alliance partner Renault, Thierry Bollore, as a board member, two sources briefed on the matter said on Friday.

The French automaker's chairman, Jean-Dominique Senard, will remain on Nissan's board, the sources said.

The appointments are expected to be announced on Friday and presented for approval at a Nissan shareholder meeting in June.

However, the former chairman of Japan's business lobby, Sadayuki Sakakibara, who had been widely seen as a potential board candidate, will not be appointed, the sources said, declining to be identified because the information has not been made public.

A Nissan spokesman said the company could not comment on speculation.

There had been widespread speculation about Mr Saikawa's future and the coming make-up of the board after Nissan this week flagged a 28 per cent drop in annual profit and slashed its dividend, underscoring the difficulty of turning the page following the ouster of former chairman Carlos Ghosn.

REUTERS