This article is about the Great Man who single handedly turned around the fortunes of the once struggling to survive company “NISSAN”. The great man is the one and only “CARLOS GHOSN”. Ever since Ghosn transformed ailing Nissan into the world’s most profitable major carmaker, he has acquired superstar status normally associated with sports icons. He is one of the best and the most influential individual in the automotive business for its Power List of 2005 according too Motor Trend.
EARLY YEARS
Carlos Ghosn was born in Brazil, on March 9, 1954. His parents were of Lebanese origin, and he was brought up in Beirut, as a French citizen. In 1978, he acquired the degree of engineering from Paris. His first job after completing graduation was with the French tire firm Michelin as a management trainee, and he became a plant manager in 1981 at the age of 27. From there it was no looking back. Ghosn was made the head of research and development for industrial tires at Michelin’s Ladoux plant. During 1986, he was made Michelin’s COO of South American activities, and relocated to his native Brazil. He remained in that position for a few years before being named chairman and CEO for Michelin’s North American branches in 1990, where, he oversaw the total restructuring of Michelin North America during the early.
MOVE TO RENAULT
In 1996, Ghosn left Michelin after 18 long years to join French auto firm Renault. He was the executive vice president of the Renault Group, overlooking engineering, development, manufacturing, advanced research, power train operations, and purchasing activities. In Renault he acquired the nickname of ’’Le Cost Killer”. As he introduced a string of cutbacks and plant closures, which in turn restored Renault’s profitability.
THE CHALLENGE
Nissan, the company which made beautiful cars like Z cars and Datsun cars during 1960’s and 1970’s , which were a major hit in US. The same company was going downhill and towards bankrupcy during the latter half of 1990’s but then Renault came to the rescue by buying a 37% share of the near-bankrupt business in 1999. Nissan had a $20 billion debt and only three of its 48 models were genertaing any profit. A major challenge for any person who turn this around.
Gohsn was chosen by Renault to head the restructuring of Nissan .He was named the company’s COO. In June 2000, he became president, and then he became CEO of Nissan Motor.
He followed the same practices as he had done at Renault during the ’90s, Ghosn’s strategy of closing factories and eliminating thousands of jobs finally paid off , finally Nissan began posting a profit in the early 2001 and has transformed Nissan into the world’s most profitable major carmaker which at one time looked next to impossible.
This success of Nissan made him the celebrity of Japan and he was turned into the hero of his own comic book, which recounted Ghosn’s own real-life success story. Japanese women picked the 50-year-old father of four as the most desirable husband, after a baseball player. Ghosn is saving it to show grandchildren someday.
At present Ghosn is the new president and CEO of Renault as well as he will remain president and CEO of Nissan too. His busy and hectic work schedule has now got him the nickname ’’Mr. Seven-11, ’’ too. As he managing to companies which are 6, 000 miles apart.
And finally the golden words of the man himself . ’’When you have a good moment, it’s good to remember the bad moments, because that helps keep your feet on the ground, ’’ he said. ’’And when you have bad moments, it’s good to remember the good ones, because that helps you keep your head above water.’’