FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 January 1999
NEW MD FOR EUROPE’S MOST PRODUCTIVE CAR PLANT
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited announces the appointment of John Cushnaghan as managing director. He succeeds Sir Ian Gibson, who will be devoting more of his time to issues that affect Nissan’s operations in Europe.
John takes control of the Sunderland plant following a record year of production, 288,838 units, and prior to the introduction of a third model, the Almera replacement, in the year 2000.
He was one of the first employees with Nissan in Sunderland, joining as production director in November 1984. He was appointed to the Board in September 1991, and to the position of executive director in January 1993. In January 1997 he became deputy managing director responsible for all day to day operations.
Sir Ian Gibson, vice president of manufacturing and purchase for Nissan in Europe said: “John has a vast amount of motor industry experience and his appointment to managing director assures continuity of management at Sunderland. Most recently he has steered the company’s mid-term improvement initiatives, NX96 and NEXT 21, that have seen the plant ranked as the most productive outside of Japan.”
New MD for Europe’s most productive car plant…2
During the launch of the company, John was responsible for the early planning of the plant's production strategy and has subsequently been responsible for all manufacturing activities on site, including the launch of Bluebird, Primera and Micra production at Sunderland.
Prior to joining Nissan he spent 14 years at Rover Group's Cowley plant. His last two years there were as manufacturing manager for the assembly plant.
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Editor’s note:
Photography is available from
Dave Foster, Northpoint Media Centre tel: 01207 580 921
For further information please contact:
Lesley Alder 0191 419 3300
Stewart McKee 01923 899 930
24064/110199
JOHN CUSHNAGHAN Managing director
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK)
Date & Place of Birth: 2 December 1945, Widnes, Lancashire
Married with two children
Education: Widnes Technical College
Interests: Golf (handicap 12), all sport,
rugby union and league fanatic
Career highlights
1963 Joined Ford Motor Company on four-year apprentice management training course. Gained National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering
1968 Ford industrial engineer
1971 Joined British Leyland as senior engineer
1972 Supervisor of British Leyland Industrial Engineering department
1974 Senior industrial relations officer of Cowley assembly plant
1976 Manager of pre-production control and scheduling including new model introductions
1978 Night-shift manager, Cowley assembly plant, reporting to the plant
director
1979 Production manager, Paint Operations, Cowley
1982 Manufacturing manager, Cowley assembly plant, Austin Rover Group
1984 Director, production
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited
1991 Appointed to the Board of Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited
1993 Executive director, Operations
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited
1996 Deputy managing director
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited
1998 Appointed to the Board of Unipres
1999 Managing director
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited