Nissan has had a tumultuous year, to say the least. Sales are way down, the company is behind on hybridization, and the latest reports indicate that the brand has anywhere from "12 to 14 months" left in business. Not good. But Nissan’s latest hire could be the first step in the right direction for a potential turnaround.
Nissan has brought on long-time auto executive Christian Meunier to lead the charge. Meunier was formerly the global chief executive officer for the Jeep brand and served on the executive committee for Stellantis. Prior to that, he worked at Nissan in multiple roles since 2002, including as the chairman and global president of Infiniti.
Meunier returns to the company as the chairman for North and South America, in charge of both the Nissan and Infiniti brands. He's replacing Jeremie Papin, who will go on to become the automaker's chief financial officer. Meunier will report directly to Nissan’s chief performance officer, Guillaume Cartier.
“I will work my butt off with the team to put the business back on track,” Meunier told Bloomberg, “to get your profitability up, to get the sales to grow again, because I know it’s possible.”
Meunier stepped down from the Jeep brand in November of 2023 amid slow sales. Although Meunier pioneered the brand’s 4xe hybrid line, sales numbers dropped dramatically under his watch. The company sold just 684,614 cars in 2022—12 percent fewer than the previous year. 2023 sales were likewise a scant 642,924 units—the lowest annual figure in 11 years.
Meunier begins his new role with Nissan on January 1, 2025.
