Nissan Motor Co. has named Lavanya Wadgaonkar as corporate vice president and chief communications officer, effective April 1, according to a statement emailed to Automotive Dive on Thursday.
In her new role, Wadgaonkar will oversee Nissan’s global communications and report to President and CEO Makoto Uchida. In the email, Nissan said Wadgaonkar would elevate the company’s “trust and reputation at a critical juncture.”
Wadgaonkar’s promotion comes as Nissan begins to execute its new electric vehicle transition plan, dubbed “The Arc.” Under the plan, Nissan aims to launch 30 new models and grow its sales by 1 million units by the end of fiscal year 2026. EVs and plug-in hybrids will make up 16 of the new models.
Nissan also plans to lower its EV costs by 30% and reach cost parity between internal-combustion-engine vehicles and EVs by 2030. In addition, Nissan North America announced last week that it was overhauling its manufacturing and research and development leadership.
Wadgaonkar has over 28 years of experience and most recently served as Nissan’s vice president of global communications. Earlier in her career, she led communications as well as external and government affairs for Nissan Asia & Oceania.
In addition to serving as Nissan’s new communications head, Wadgaonkar will continue to lead the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
