Nissan announced changes to its senior leadership team in North America. Dan Gaudette, senior vice president of North American manufacturing and supply chain management for Nissan North America, has decided to retire after a 26-year career at Nissan. This change is effective in April 2007.
Succeeding Gaudette will be Bill Krueger, currently the company’s vice president of manufacturing in Smyrna. Tenn. In his new role, Krueger will oversee all manufacturing and supply chain management functions for Nissan’s three manufacturing plants in the United States (Smyrna and Decherd, Tenn., and Canton, Miss.) and its two plants in Mexico (Cuernavaca and Aguascalientes).
Gaudette joined Nissan in December 1980 as a financial analyst/controller as part of the original launch team for Smyrna. After holding several manufacturing management positions, he was the project coordinator for the original Altima launch team in 1990. Gaudette was promoted to vice president of manufacturing for Smyrna in January 1998, to senior vice president of U.S. manufacturing in April 2000 and to his current position in charge of North American manufacturing in April 2004.
“I appreciate Dan’s hard work and contributions to Nissan’s manufacturing organization during his many years of service,” said Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO, Nissan Motor Company Ltd. “I know that everyone at Nissan wishes him and his family the best in the future.”
Krueger joined the manufacturing team in 2005. Prior to Nissan, Krueger held various management positions at Toyota’s manufacturing plants and most recently served as general manager at the Georgetown, Ky., plant. In addition, Krueger held several management roles at General Motors’ Janesville, Wis., assembly plant and was also appointed as manufacturing manager at Harley-Davidson’s Utilimaster Corporation.
Krueger earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Marquette University and a master’s of business administration degree from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He also holds a master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University.
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.
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