Ghosn is now effectively exiled to Lebanon, thanks to an Interpol Red Notice seeking his arrest. Lebanon has shown no interest in arresting him or cooperating with extradition back to Japan, but other countries may if he attempts to travel. However, the power of the internet still enables Ghosn to reach a worldwide audience. He has posted extensively on X about the injustices he feels he suffered at the hands of Japanese authorities, but except for a post on the anniversary of his arrest, Ghosn has more recently shared his thoughts and advice to the automotive industry. On the subject of EVs:
After 40 years in #automotive, I’ve never seen disruption at this scale and speed. Traditional #manufacturers are playing catch-up while Chinese EV makers rewrite the rules. The companies that dominated for a century risk becoming footnotes if they fail to move faster…
The original Nissan Leaf came out during Ghosn’s tenure. On the subject of profitability, something he led Nissan back to:
Profitability Without Growth is Just Managed Decline.
Too many leaders celebrate cost cuts as victories. Cutting #costs to boost #margins can work for three years. Real #turnarounds need a ten-year vision where every saved dollar funds future expansion.
At Nissan, we reallocated resources from waste to innovation, from redundancy to R&D. That’s how you build sustainable success.
On the subject of mergers, however, Ghosn seems to say one thing when he tried to do another:
I don’t believe in mergers. The reason is simple.
Every #merger creates winners and losers, first-class and second-class citizens. One brand dominates, one culture prevails, one workforce feels defeated. You destroy the very pride that drives performance.
This certainly seemed to be the case with DaimlerChrysler, which was supposed to be a “merger of equals,” but turned out to be anything but. Ghosn handled Nissan and Renault as an “alliance” rather than a merger for many years, but according to the Financial Times, he was behind the proposed merger of the two companies that gave the larger Nissan a significant disadvantage:
Mr Ghosn was the driving force behind the merger plans, which met with fierce resistance from Nissan’s board, according to people familiar with the deliberations. Renault’s 43 per cent stake in Nissan gives it unusual levels of control, with the ability to appoint senior executives. Nissan’s 15 per cent stake in Renault comes with no voting rights and gives the business no control over its French counterpart.
“The board [of Nissan] always said they would fight very hard against any reorganisation that entrenched that second-tier status,” said one person close to the board.
This is why some, particularly Ghosn himself, believe the charges against him were a way to get rid of him and prevent the planned merger. However, despite his strong feelings about what happened and his exile in Lebanon, he seems to be trying to maintain a positive outlook for the future:
This week remember that Regret is Pointless.
I’ve learned that life is about calculated decisions and risk. Looking back makes you miss out on future opportunities.
My #ethos is to focus on what CAN be, not what COULD have been.
