executive Jun Seki as its chief strategy officer for electric vehicles, adding a high-profile auto executive to bolster its industry ambitions.
Seki, once seen as a contender for the top job at Nissan, later went to motor maker Nidec, holding the role of chief executive before having to resign to take responsibility for a deterioration in the company's earnings. Seki had been recruited to Nidec from Nissan by Nidec's hard-driving founder Shigenobu Nagamori in 2020 to help Nidec become a major player in components for next-generation automobiles.
Seki became CEO in June 2021 but was demoted less that a year later with Nagamori expressing dissatisfaction with the company's performance and stock price. Nidec said he would resign in Septemeber last year. Seki spent three decades at Nissan, including a stint heading its China business. He was widely seen as a contender for chief executive, but was passed over for the current chief, Makoto Uchida.Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Kim Coghill and Muralikumar Anantharaman