INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW PRESIDENT
"We've strengthened ties with customers, but we plan to get even closer."
President Yoshikazu Hanawa
Yoshikazu Hanawa became president of Nissan at the General Shareholders Meeting and the subsequent Board of Directors Meeting on June 27, 1996. In the following brief interview, President Hanawa outlines his priorities for the current fiscal year and his vision of where Nissan should be heading.
What are your priorities for your first year as president?
Make that one priority--profitability on a consolidated basis, not only on a non-consolidated basis. As part of this priority, I want to ensure that we are profitable not only for the year to March 1997, but every year after. Three years ago, Chairman Tsuji promised consolidated profitability by March 1997. We have a viable strategy, and we're going to stay that course.
How do you view Nissan's relationship with its customers?
Customers are the foundation of this company. We only succeed if we make cars that satisfy our customers' requirements for quality, price and driving pleasure. I see it as our duty to give them exactly what they want--reasonably priced, quality vehicles that look great and are a pleasure to drive, and excellent service during and after the sale. Profit shows we are doing our jobs right, and that we have won the approval of our customers. When we do that, we are better able to reward shareholders.
Is Nissan succeeding in building this kind of close relationship with customers?
We've strengthened ties with customers, but we plan to get even closer. I see better communication as essential, and part of my job is channeling all employees' energy toward making it happen. We've got to talk to our dealers, to our sales people, and most important, directly to our customers to find out what they want now, and what they will want down the road. This is how we will make our product development more market-driven, more customer-oriented.
What directions will Nissan take internationally?
Good cooperation is the key; we need to become a truly global company. Everyone has to realize that we are all part of the same company, no matter where we are operating. I want each part of our global operations, and this includes Japan, to focus on contributing to the company as a whole.