Renault-Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd has appointed Kou Kimura as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director for its Chennai manufacturing facility with effect from April 1.

Mr Kimura was promoted as CEO & MD from his previous position of Senior Vice-President - Plant Operations of Chennai facility, which he held since 2008.

Mr Kimura replaces Mr Akira Sakurai who successfully steered Renault-Nissan Automotive India operations in the initial phase of production, the company said in a statement.

After two years as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Mr Sakurai has now been appointed as Senior Vice-President, Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Division at the Corporate Headquarters in Japan.

However, Mr Marc Nassif, Managing Director & Country General Manager for Renault in India, continues in his role as Deputy CEO of Renault-Nissan Automotive India, it said.

Mr Kimura is a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Touhoku University in Japan. He started his career at Nissan Motor Ltd’s Oppama Plant in Japan in 1977.

Prior to coming to India, he has held various positions at Nissan headquarters in Japan and in the United Kingdom.

Renault Nissan Automotive India is a joint venture company set up by Renault Nissan alliance. The alliance signed a MoU with the Government of Tamil Nadu in February 2008 to set up a manufacturing plant at Oragadam near Chennai.

The plant has an initial capacity of 2,00,000 units per year. Nissan’s first locally manufactured global compact hatchback — Nissan Micra is manufactured at the plant and the Renault Fluence & Koleos, which will be launched in India in 2011, will also be manufactured at the same facility, the company said.

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