Takeshi Niinami is one of three candidates the troubled auto maker hopes would bring international experience and outlook to Nissan. The others are Jun Seki, the Nissan executive overseeing the company’s business recovery, and Ashwani Gupta, the chief operating officer of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and a former Renault SA executive.
Niinami said he hadn’t been contacted by Nissan and wasn’t interested in switching jobs right now. “There are so many things left to do as Suntory CEO,” he told The Wall Street Journal in an email, adding that it was an honor to hear he was in the running.