The Big Winner From Carlos Ghosn's Arrest? His Protege
- Nissan board removes Ghosn as chairman in unanimous vote
- Saikawa seen defending Nissan’s interests in Renault alliance
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Long before the downfall of his mentor Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Motor Co.’s Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa had pushed to win more power for the Japanese carmaker in its strained alliance with Renault SA. Now he has a chance to do just that.
Saikawa, 65, has emerged as the main winner from Nissan Chairman Ghosn’s shock arrest on Monday for suspected financial offenses, putting him in a position to re-balance what he and others at the Japanese company view as an increasingly lopsided partnership. Exactly how that might occur is unclear, but the idea of an outright merger between Renault and Nissan -- a deal that Ghosn had advocated for over opposition from Saikawa and others -- is almost certainly dead.