Draft:Ashwani Gupta (executive)
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Ashwani Gupta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ashwani Gupta |
| Alma mater | Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College |
| Occupation | Business Executive |
| Organisation | Adani Ports & SEZ |
| Title |
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Ashwani Gupta is an Indian business executive who serves as the Whole-Time Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest private port operator. He assumed this role in January 2024.[1] Prior to joining Adani Ports, Gupta held the position of Global Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Nissan Motor Co. from December 2019 to June 2023, He played a key role in the development and execution of the company's Nissan NEXT transformation plan.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Born in Dehradun, India, Ashwani Gupta graduated from Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, India, and obtained a diploma from INSEAD Business School in France. He started his career in 1992 in engineering and purchasing in the private sector and later moved to management positions with Honda India and Japan in 1996.
Career
[edit]Gupta began his career in 1992 in the private sector, working in engineering and purchasing roles. In 1996, he joined Honda India and subsequently moved to Honda Motor Co., Japan in 1998, where he served as a Manager overseeing Global Purchasing of Chassis parts. In 2001, he took on the role of Head of New Model Development for the second-generation Honda City and Civic.
In 2006, Gupta transitioned to Renault, starting as the General Manager of Purchasing at Renault India in Mumbai. His career within the Renault-Nissan Alliance then expanded. In 2008, he moved to the Renault Nissan Purchasing Organization in France, taking on the role of Global Supplier Account Manager for braking systems. The following year, in 2009, he was appointed Deputy General Manager of Global Purchasing at Renault Nissan B.V.
In 2011, Gupta joined Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in Japan as the Global Program Director for Datsun vehicles. In this role, he was responsible for leading product development and ensuring strong profitability for the brand, overseeing launches in key markets including India, Russia, Indonesia, and South Africa.[3]
From 2014, Gupta served as Vice President of Renault's Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) Division, overseeing its global LCV business. He was then appointed Alliance Senior Vice President of the Renault-Nissan LCV Business in April 2017, and later the Alliance Senior Vice President of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi LCV Business in April 2018. In these roles, he aimed to expand LCV market leadership and maximize synergies across the Alliance brands.[4][5]
In December 2019, Gupta was appointed Global Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. He was a key figure in the company's executive leadership during a period of significant restructuring following the arrest of former chief Carlos Ghosn.[6] As COO, he was instrumental in the development and execution of the "Nissan NEXT" transformation plan, a four-year strategy launched in May 2020.[7][8] This plan aimed to optimize production, streamline the product lineup, and refine the global management structure, focusing on achieving positive operating profitability, significant cost savings, and accelerating electrification goals.[9] Gupta's tenure saw progress in these areas, including a 19% increase in net revenue per unit in the core U.S. market.[10] He stepped down from his role as COO and resigned from Nissan's Board of Directors on June 27, 2023.[11] Gupta was reportedly paid $3.7 million in compensation following his sudden departure.[12][13][14]
In January 2024, Ashwani Gupta was appointed Whole-Time Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest private port operator. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the company's global operations and business strategy for its Marine, Ports & Logistics businesses. His appointment was part of a broader leadership restructuring at APSEZ, which included Karan Adani being promoted to Managing Director and Gautam Adani becoming Executive Chairman. Upon his appointment, Adani Ports noted his nearly three decades of global leadership experience, and cited his track record in fostering international partnerships and strategic acumen in driving growth and acquisitions worldwide..[15]
Departure from Nissan and Associated Controversies
[edit]Ashwani Gupta's tenure as Global Chief Operating Officer at Nissan Motor Co. concluded with his resignation on June 27, 2023, with Nissan stating he had "elected to leave the company to pursue other opportunities."[[16] However, his departure was widely reported as being accompanied by significant internal tensions and controversies.[17]
Reports from sources like the Financial Times and Reuters indicated a period of internal conflict and "rivalry" between Gupta and Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida.[18] Sources close to the matter suggested that Gupta had ambitions for the top job and that his relationship with Uchida had become strained, with some reports citing disagreements over the renegotiation of the Nissan-Renault alliance terms.[18][13] Renault executives, according to the Financial Times, reportedly viewed Gupta as an obstacle in alliance negotiations due to his consistent rejection of certain demands.[18]
Further reports emerged of serious allegations. In June 2023, it was reported that Nissan had launched an investigation into claims made by senior adviser Hari Nada, who alleged that CEO Makoto Uchida had carried out surveillance on Gupta for an extended period.[19] Nada's letter, reviewed by Reuters, suggested this surveillance was an effort to gain leverage to remove an executive perceived as an obstacle to the Renault deal.[20] While preliminary findings of an internal investigation presented to Nissan's board reportedly confirmed the installation of surveillance cameras at Gupta's Tokyo residence by Nissan's internal security team, the report did not conclude on the legality of the surveillance or Uchida's direct involvement.[21] Nissan's spokesperson stated that "independent third parties have been retained to verify facts, and carry-on appropriate actions," declining further comment on the matter.[20]
Separately, in May 2024, reports surfaced that Nissan had paid Gupta ¥582 million (approximately $3.7 million at the time) upon his departure, amidst "allegations of misconduct."[13][22]People familiar with the matter, speaking to Bloomberg, indicated that his departure followed a company investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. Nissan has not publicly commented on the specific nature of the allegations, beyond the public notice of the compensation, and Gupta himself declined to comment on these reports.[23]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ashwani Gupta, former global COO of Nissan, appointed CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone". The Financial Express. 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Roush, Ty. "Nissan Reportedly Spied On Former COO As CEO Searched For Leverage". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ "Ashwani Gupta: Alliance Senior Vice President of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi LCV Business". Official Great Britain Newsroom. 2018-09-19. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ "Renault-Nissan Alliance Forms Light Commercial Vehicle Business Unit | Ecargolog - Asia's Cargo & Logistics News Online". Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ "Interstar". Official Europe Newsroom. 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ "Nissan's new No. 2 has deep ties with Renault". www.autonews.com. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Nair, Deepthi. "Nissan business transformation on track, COO Ashwani Gupta says". The National. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Godinho, Varun (2022-01-24). "Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta outlines carmaker's electrification strategy". Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ "Future of Nissan, upcoming EVs, new product launches: Ashwani Gupta interview". Autocar India. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Nissan, Group1 (2022-07-05). "NEXT Transformation Plan Boosts Nissan's Future Growth". Nissan Blog at Group1. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Leadership Turmoil In Nissan After Top Executive Ashwani Gupta Quits". NDTV. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Roush, Ty. "Nissan Reportedly Spied On Former COO As CEO Searched For Leverage". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ a b c "Nissan paid ex-operations chief $3.7 mln over departure". Reuters. 2024-05-31. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Bloomberg (2023-06-16). "Ashwani Gupta to quit Nissan's top job due to "internal clash": report". BusinessLine. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Suri, Naman (2024-01-03). "Karan Adani elevated as MD of Adani Ports; Ashwani Gupta new CEO | Company Business News". mint. Archived from the original on 2025-01-30. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Desk, Autocar India News. "Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta to step down on June 27". Autocar India. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Ashwani Gupta steps down as Nissan CEO, 'leadership clash' suspected - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ a b c Inagaki, Kana; White, Sarah; Campbell, Peter; Lewis, Leo (2023-06-15). "Nissan's internal leadership clash forces top executive's exit". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ Leussink, Daniel; Shirouzu, Norihiko; Leussink, Daniel (2023-06-28). "Exclusive: Nissan installed camera to monitor No. 2's home, sources say". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ a b "Nissan investigates claims CEO put deputy Ashwani Gupta under surveillance - BusinessToday". Business Today. 2023-06-24. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "Nissan's Surveillance Investigation, The Surprising Japanese Law, Cameras Installed At Executive Ashwani Gupta's Home! - Inventiva". 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "Nissan Motors' former global COO Ashwani Gupta appointed CEO of Adani Ports". Autocar Professional. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ^ Horie, Masatsugu (2024-05-31). "Nissan paid ex-COO $3.7 million to quit after sexual harassment claims". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2025-07-12.