Tokyo, Sep 30 (EFE).- Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor on Wednesday said it was undergoing a major structural reform and would realign its operations from the current seven global regions into four for sustainable growth.

The structural change, which will take effect on Oct. 1, is part of the company's four-year transformation plan, Nissan NEXT, "to transform into a leaner, agile organization," it said in a statement.

Under the new structure, Nissan has created four new regions of operation - Japan-ASEAN, China, Americas, and AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania).

"The new structure will enable a heightened focus on core markets and will further empower regional management. This realignment enables Nissan to be more competitive by improving the speed of our operations and help deploy our latest technologies consistently and quickly to customers the world over," the statement said.

The restructuring comes along with changes in the top management of the group.

Gianluca De Ficchy, until now president of the European branch, will now chair the newly created AMIEO region, while Guillaume Cartier, responsible for Africa, the Middle East, and India, will be the vice president of that area.

Jérémie Papin will oversee management in the United States, Canada, and Mexico with the assistance of the current president of Nissan Mexico, who will also be in charge of the importers business unit.

Guy Rodríguez will be in charge of Latin America.

Asako Hoshino, executive vice president, will be the new chairperson of the Japan-ASEAN region.

The management committee of China will continue to run with the existing leadership under chairman Shohei Yamazaki, according to the restructuring plan. EFE

The company has undergone several management changes since the dismissal of the former head of the Japanese car manufacturer and the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance, Carlos Ghosn, due to alleged false accounting and remuneration irregularities.

Ghosn headed the carmaker between 2010 and 2018.

The former Nissan head, who jumped a bail to escape from Japan to Lebanon late last year, was first arrested on Nov. 19, 2018 for alleged irregularities related to the declaration of his remunerations, among other crimes.

Ghosn was dismissed following his arrest, and the company decided to provide a new executive structure to improve its management and transparency. EFE

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