Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer, Ashwani Gupta, is set to leave his position at the Japanese automaker following a leadership clash within the company.
Gupta has held the job since December 2019, during a time of turmoil for Nissan after the shock arrest of ex-chief Carlos Ghosn in 2018.
Since then, rivalry between Gupta and CEO Makoto Uchida has hampered the firm’s efforts to rebalance its alliance with French automaker Renault.
According to reports, Gupta agreed to step down following multiple internal complaints that were seen by some as a campaign to engineer his resignation. “He had a very clear ambition to take the top job,” said a source close to the matter. “He wasn’t forced out, but he had understood” that it wouldn’t be possible in a “very Japanese” company still reeling from the Ghosn scandal.
There was “a little rivalry” between Gupta and Uchida, added the source.
Earlier this year, Nissan and Renault signed a deal to reboot their rocky 24-year relationship after months of negotiations and repeated delays.
Under the agreement, Renault will slash its stake in Nissan while Nissan will take up to a 15% stake in Renault’s new electric vehicle venture Ampere.
However, according to reports from Financial Times citing unnamed sources outside of Nissan’s dominance, Gupta consistently rejected demands made by Japanese executives which led to a fight over who controls the alliance.
Nissan declined to comment directly on reports that Gupta was poised to leave the company; however, an official announcement could come within days.
A spokesperson for Nissan said: “Independent third parties have been retained to verify facts and carry on appropriate actions,” referring to reports of internal complaints against Gupta.
