Senard to meet with Saikawa in Japan this week, say sources

TOKYO: Renault’s chairman will meet Nissan Motor Co’s chief executive officer (CEO) in Japan this week as they look at ways to cement their partnership after the ouster of former alliance leader Carlos Ghosn, said two people with knowledge of the matter.

Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said yesterday Jean-Dominique Senard, named chairman of the French carmaker last month, would visit Japan to become better acquainted with its Japanese partner, the Nikkei business daily reported.

“First of all, we have to restore trust and stabilise the relationship,” the Nikkei quoted Saikawa as saying.

“We want him to know more about Nissan’s (management) team.”

Kyodo news reported that Senard would visit for two days from tomorrow.

Senard, formerly CEO of tyre maker Michelin, joined Renault as chairman after Ghosn was forced to resign from the French carmaker in the wake of his arrest in Japan on allegations of financial misconduct.

Relations between the two carmakers had been strained before Senard’s appointment as Nissan had moved earlier to dismiss Ghosn from its helm after his arrest on November 19, here.

Ghosn has been indicted in Japan for under-reporting his Nissan salary for eight years and temporarily transferring personal losses on to the carmaker’s books around during the global financial crisis.