Carlos Ghosn, the well-known business leader, said he will step down as Nissan's CEO from April. The successful Mr Ghosn will stay with Nissan as chairman. He will look after a group that includes Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi. Ghosn said it was the right moment to step down. He added that after 16 years as CEO of Nissan, he could not bring anything else to the company. He said: "Nissan is profitable, financially healthy, with a clear strategy."

Ghosn joined Nissan as Chief Operating Officer in 1999. He became CEO in 2001. He made Nissan profitable by making attractive new cars and models. His cost cutting got him the nickname "The Cost Killer". Fortune magazine named him as Asia Businessman of the Year in 2002. The magazine also said he was one of the 10 most powerful business leaders outside the USA. He became a celebrity in Japan, where his life story is a manga comic book.